STOCKHOLM, July 4: President Gen Pervez Musharraf arrived here on Sunday evening at the start of a three-day official visit to Sweden.

The president, accompanied by Begum Sehba Musharraf, was received at the Arlanda Airport by Foreign Minister Ms Liala Frivadf, Pakistan's Ambassador Shahid Kamal and senior members of the Pakistani mission.

Speaking to newsmen at the airport, President Musharraf said that his meetings with Swedish leaders would concentrate on augmenting trade and commercial ties between the two countries.

His talks over two days will cover bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest to both countries. President Musharraf is the first head of state from Pakistan to visit Sweden.

The President is accompanied by Minister for Industries Liaquat Jatoi, Senator Wasim Shahzad, MNAs Malik Amin Aslam and Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and Information Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood.

Earlier talking to newsmen at Chaklala airbase prior to his departure, President Pervez Musharraf said his visit to Sweden and Finland would provide a useful opportunity to expand Pakistan's trade and economic relations with the two Scandinavian countries.

"We would like to further our economic relationships with these two important countries, we would like to have more investment from them in Pakistan," he said.

Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Aziz Khan, Vice Chief of the Army Staff Gen Mohammed Yousuf and senior civil and military officials saw off the president.

President Musharraf said the two countries had also their significance as important members of the European Union. - APP