ISLAMABAD, March 15: Chief US diplomat Dr Condoleezza Rice, who is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday, will hold meetings in the evening with President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

This will be her first visit to Asia since becoming secretary of state.

Dr Rice will be accompanied by senior US State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca and spokesman Richard Boucher.

Her meeting with Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and delegation-level talks will take place on Thursday.

The sale of F-16s to Pakistan, the ongoing cooperation in the war against terrorism, the nuclear proliferation issue, education reforms and commercial relations would be key agenda items, the sources said.

The talks would cover all aspects of Pakistan-US relations, officials said, adding that there would be an exchange of views on regional and global issues, specially the Pakistan-India peace talks, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Iran nuclear issue, the Israel-Palestine conflict, United Nations reforms and the US-sponsored ‘greater Middle East initiative’.

The United States president’s expected visit to the region later this year was also likely to figure in the discussions, they said.

Dr Rice will make a day trip to Afghanistan on Thursday and leave for Tokyo the following morning.

She may also meet some opposition leaders at a reception, to be hosted by the United States ambassador in her honour.—Q.A.