Pakistan, Spain to boost cooperation against terrorism
MADRID, April 24: Pakistan and Spain agreed on Tuesday to step up their cooperation against terrorism and human trafficking during talks in Madrid between the leaders of the two nations.
“Both parties agreed to promote cooperation in the field of combating illegal immigration and human trafficking,” said a joint statement issued after the talks between President Pervez Musharraf and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
“The parties also agreed to start negotiations to sign an agreement on cooperation in the fight against organized crime, terrorism and illegal immigration, which would contemplate mutual cooperation and technical assistance,” it added.
Spain and Pakistan will hold yearly meetings between government officials from both nations who work on illegal immigration, it said.
Immigrant boats arriving from Africa to Spain increasingly carry would-be migrants from Asia. A ship bound for Spain which was intercepted off the coast of Mauritania in February had over 100 Pakistanis among its nearly 400 passengers.
Musharraf is scheduled to travel to the southern city of Cordoba during his four-day stay in Spain where he will visit the famous ancient mosque and take part in a conference on dialogue between the West and the Muslim world.
The visit is part of a four-nation tour of Europe includes stops in Poland, Bosnia and Turkey where he is scheduled to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The meeting comes amid increasing tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the fight against Taliban militants along their common border.
Spain and Pakistan “highlighted the importance of regional cooperation as an effective means of promoting security, good governance and development in Afghanistan”, the joint statement said.
Some 700 troops are taking part in Nato's mission in Afghanistan and Madrid considers Pakistan to be essential to their safety since the country acts as a logistics base for the soldiers.
Spain and Pakistan also agreed to look into the possibility of signing an agreement on the transfer of sentenced prisoners and speed up talks on a double taxation agreement.
In order to boost economic and trade relations, the two nations agreed to set up joint working groups made up of high officials who will meet regularly, the statement said.
President Musharraf also called on Spanish King Juan Carlos and spent more than half an hour with him, exchanging sentiments of goodwill and warm friendship for the governments and the peoples of the two countries.—AFP/APP
