BEIJING, May 31: Chinese President Jiang Zemin and President Pervez Musharraf are likely to have a Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building in Asia (CICA).

Jiang is also expected to have a separate meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. These bilateral meetings will have a special significance in the background of Kashmir and persuading the two countries to resolve their disputes through negotiation, informed sources told APP here on Friday.

However, when asked Li Hui, Director General of Eastern European and Central Asian Affairs Department in the Chinese Foreign Office said, “These meetings have yet not been decided.”

He said China attaches high importance to the forthcoming regional summit, to be participated by the leaders from 16 Asian countries for promoting the spirit of reconciliatioin, settling bilateral conflicts through negotiation.

Li hoped that presence of President Musharraf and the Prime Minister Vajpayee in the meeting would help to promote peace and security in the region.

To a question, he said Chinese President during his address at the summit would elaborate China’s position on the existing tension between India and Pakistan. He said the summit would touch upon the issues relating to the latest developments in South Asia, with particular reference to recent standoff between India and Pakistan.

Li further hoped that the CICA would prove an important forum for taking confidence-building measures among the member states for promoting peace and stability and strengthening fight against terrorism.

—APP