March, 14 2005	Monday	03 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 13: US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday for consultations with the top leadership on a host of bilateral, regional and global issues, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Sunday.

This will be her first official visit to Pakistan and part of her South and East Asia tour that will take her to India, Afghanistan, Japan, China and South Korea. Also, this will be her first tour to the region after taking over as the new US secretary of state on Jan 26, 2005.

The top US diplomat will be accompanied by an 80-plus member entourage, it is learnt. Her official delegation would include, among others, Ms Christina Rocca, assistant secretary of state for South Asia.

Foreign Ministry sources, confirming the date of her visit, said Ms Rice’s official engagements here would take place on Wednesday and Thursday. These include a call on President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and meeting with Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

Her visit here will provide the first opportunity, early in the second term of Bush administration, to see where we are and where we want to take this relationship, said a Pakistani diplomat.

At the Foreign Ministry secretary, Ms Rice will hold substantive delegation-level talks during which all aspects of the Pakistan-US relations would be discussed, including security assistance, commercial ties and ongoing cooperation in war against terrorism, officials here maintained. They said the Indo-Pak peace process, particularly the Kashmir issue, Afghanistan, UN reforms, nuclear proliferation issue, Iran, Iraq and Palestine issue would also figure in the talks.

During her meetings here, Secretary Rice is expected to reiterate the US commitment for a long-term engagement with Pakistan, a key US ally in the war against terrorism. Pakistan is likely to press ahead with its legitimate defence requirements in view of the massive acquisition of major defence systems by India. In addition, the Pakistani side would seek greater access to the US market, sources said.

Secretary Rice has had interaction with the Pakistani leadership as the US national security adviser. She was also present at Gen Musharraf’s last meeting with President Bush in Washington last December. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri also held talks with her in Washington.

Her visit assumes special significance as it takes place in the backdrop of US pressure on Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment programme and Washington’s insistence that Tehran’s case be referred to the UN Security Council. Also, it comes on the heels of the reported US warning to India against the proposed trilateral Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

On March 17, Secretary Rice will make a day trip to Afghanistan and on the following day proceed to Tokyo from here, sources told Dawn.

Secretary Condoleezza Rice, a close aide of President Bush, made history this year by becoming the first American black woman to be appointed US secretary of state. Her nomination for the top diplomatic post was made on Nov 16, 2004 after re-election of President Bush for a second term.