ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: President Gen Pervez Musharraf is expected to cover a whole range of subjects, including the military standoff with India and the Kashmir issue, during his talks with US President George W. Bush in Washington next month.

Foreign Office Spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told his press briefing on Saturday that Islamabad expected the outcome of the talks to be “very good and positive” for bilateral relations. Islamabad and Washington, he pointed out, had maintained traditionally close relations and had now come even closer.

Presidents of the United States and Pakistan would hold discussions on the regional situation and the efforts being made with international cooperation for early reconstruction of Afghanistan.

The spokesman said that during his visit here on Friday, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister John Manley had informed Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar that President Musharraf’s Jan 12 speech had made a positive impact on the Indian leadership and its people. Before coming to Islamabad, the Canadian minister had held talks with the Indian leaders in Delhi.

Answering questions, the FO spokesman reiterated Pakistan’s offer to India to cooperate in defusing tension and resuming bilateral talks for resolving the issues peacefully.

Pakistan, he said, had held its principled position against terrorism even before the Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States and had been appreciated by numerous foreign government leaders, which, he added, had enhanced Pakistan’s image as a peaceful nation. He said that international appreciation of Pakistan had been visible in personal visits to Islamabad by a large number of these leaders and their vocal pronouncements supporting Pakistan.

Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, who also spoke at the briefing, said that Pakistan’s role as a peaceful nation opposed to terrorism and aggression had been vindicated by a number of foreign governments, including the US administration, when they rejected attempts by Indian leaders, particularly Home Minister L.K. Advani, to involve Pakistan in the Kolkata incident.

He said the international rejection of Kolkata drama greatly frustrated India vis-a-vis the recognition of Pakistan as a tolerant, progressive and well-meaning state.—H.A