RAWALPINDI, Sept 23: A four-day meeting of the Pakistan-USA Defence Consultative Group (DCG), the first after its re-establishment, will begin here on Tuesday.

“The meeting is of special significance to both the countries in the post-Sept 11 scenario, and it is hoped that far-reaching decisions will be taken by the two sides for expanding cooperation in the defence and military fields,” the defence ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The statement says the US Undersecretary for Defence (Policy), Douglas J. Feith, will lead a 40-member team while Defence Secretary Hamid Nawaz Khan will head the Pakistani side.

The group has been sub-divided into various working groups, which will hold talks on several agenda items and finalize minutes before the concluding session on Friday.

The opening and concluding plenary sessions will be co-chaired by the leaders of the two delegations.

Mr Douglas Feith is scheduled to call on President Musharraf, the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the navy and air chiefs, and the vice chief of army staff after the meeting.