March, 17 2005	Thursday	06 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 16: President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday urged the United States to support efforts aimed at resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in keeping with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. During a meeting with the visiting US Secretary of State Dr Condoleezza Rice, he underscored that normalization in the region would not be possible without the settlement of the core dispute between Pakistan and India. The confidence-building measures should be matched by tangible progress in the dialogue process, the president said.

The US secretary of state praised President Musharraf’s vision for South Asia and initiatives to promote peace and stability in the region.

She briefed the president about her discussion with the Indian leadership on issues of common interest. Dr Rice also appreciated Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan’s efforts for stability and reconstruction in that country.

President Musharraf and Secretary Rice expressed satisfaction at the excellent cooperation between Pakistan and the US in wide-ranging fields.

They reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Lauding Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and stability, Dr Rice reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to have a broad-based and sustainable partnership with Pakistan.

She said the US was stepping up support to Pakistan’s plans for socio-economic development and added that her country would look into ways of expediting defence cooperation with Pakistan.

The president called upon the international community to address the underlying causes of tension like Palestine and Kashmir in order to bring the present turmoil to an end. He recalled his concept of enlightened moderation which envisaged a partnership between the West and the Muslim countries to address the root causes of extremism and to assist in poverty alleviation and economic development.—APP

Qudssia Akhlaque adds: Dr Rice held separate meetings with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and President Musharraf.

Sources privy to her meetings described them as ‘very positive’.

“Ms Condoleezza Rice’s overriding message to the Pakistani leadership was that the US is interested and committed to a long-term, multi-faceted partnership with Pakistan,” informed sources told Dawn.

Earlier, the US secretary of state arrived here aboard a special aircraft from New Delhi where she had held talks with the Indian leadership. This is her first bilateral visit to Pakistan after taking over as the secretary of state.

Apparently, the US secretary of state also shared with her hosts the Bush Administration’s concerns about the gas pipeline project with Iran.

On the nuclear issue, Pakistani leaders held out the assurance to Secretary Rice that Islamabad was committed to the international objectives of non-proliferation. There were ‘no demands’ from the top US diplomat on this question, the sources said.

Her message from New Delhi was that the Indian leadership wanted to move ahead in the peace process with Pakistan. However, she was reminded by the Pakistani leadership that to sustain the dialogue process, progress on the key issue of Kashmir was imperative. Apparently, she accepted this view.

Significantly, Dr Rice’s trip coincides with a visit by the US-Pakistan Business Council delegation representing business interests worth one trillion dollars, indicating forward movement in bilateral relations on both political and economic fronts.

On arrival at the Chaklala Airbase, Dr Rice was received by Additional Secretary for Americas Shahid Kamal and other senior officials of the foreign ministry. US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker was also there to welcome her.

Secretary Rice would meet Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri at the foreign ministry on Thursday.