Jack Straw due in Islamabad today

Published February 14, 2005

ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw will hold bilateral consultations with the top leadership here on Monday. He is arriving here in the morning on a three-day official visit.

"In addition to a review of bilateral relations, discussions would be held on a wide range of regional as well as global issues, including resumption of the Pakistan-India dialogue, reconstruction of Afghanistan, counter-terrorism steps and non-proliferation," said a foreign ministry statement issued here on Sunday.

Britain is a leading partner in the international coalition on war against terror and participating in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the statement said, adding: "Britain has welcomed the progress made by India and Pakistan since January 2004, in the ongoing composite dialogue process."

On Monday, the British foreign secretary will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri at the foreign ministry. He will also call on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz the same day before he leaves for Lahore in the evening. In Lahore, Secretary Straw is scheduled to speak on the "Enlightened Moderation" at a British Council function.

It is learnt that the Washington-Tehran stand off over Iran's nuclear programme, strengthening of the ISAF, situation in the Middle East and Iraq, acquisition of advanced weapons systems by India, and the proposed Re-admission Treaty would also figure in the discussions between the two sides here.

The foreign office spokesman said on Sunday that Pakistan enjoyed friendly relations with Britain rooted in a long historical association, pointing out that the UK was home to almost one million strong community of Pakistani origin.

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