March 27, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429

ISLAMABAD, March 26: Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said on Wednesday that it was for the new government and parliament to decide if the country’s foreign policy needed to be reviewed and if its stance on the war on terror was to be changed.

The spokesman said at his weekly press briefing that visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte had exchanged views with the foreign secretary on matters relating to the strategic dialogue.

Two rounds of talks had taken place since 2006 and the next round would be held in June this year in Washington because the US was interested in holding the third round early.

The spokesman said the two sides had discussed regional issues, including the status of composite dialogue and peace process with India and Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan.

He said the country’s role in the war on terror and cooperation between Pakistan and the US in different fields, including defence and economy, had also been discussed.

The spokesman said the two sides had also discussed various aspects of bilateral relations, especially Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs). Products from the ROZs, he said, would have tariff-free access to US markets and a legislation for this purposes was under consideration. The spokesman said there was no link between the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones and reports about the US seeking free movement of its personnel in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

He said Pakistan was clear that any military action on its soil was to be carried out only by its own forces and similar actions on the other side of the border by Nato and Afghan forces.

He said the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones were aimed at alleviating poverty in Fata and other backward areas of the NWFP and Balochistan, adding that goods produced in these zones would have duty-free access to US markets.

He said a legislation for the purpose was under study in the US and the US government had committed 750 million dollars over the next five years for the development of Fata.

The spokesman said that the Foreign Office had received no request from the US for posting Maj-Gen Jay W. Hood as the chief of the Office of the Defence Respresentative at the US Embassy in Islamabad.

Mr Sadiq said that Pakistan and India were in the process of fixing dates for next round of talks.

In reply to a question about the Pakistan-Iran bus service, he said the service would begin next month and the inaugural bus would leave Quetta for Mashhad on April 22 with 40 people, including media personnel and officials.