AUSTIN, July 13: Texas Governor Rick Perry met former president Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday to exchange ideas about improving the economy and discuss the strained relationship between the US and Pakistani governments.

Gen (retd) Musharraf has been critical of the White House’s recent suspension of $800 million in US aid to Pakistan’s military, saying the decreased aid will hurt his country and hinder its fight against terrorism.

Mr Perry did not directly criticise the federal decision, but he said he hoped the two governments could work their way through the conflicts and get “on the same page of the hymnbook”.

“All of us are concerned ... any time there’s conflict between these historic friends,” Mr Perry said, as the two men and their wives met for a private lunch at an Austin hotel. “I’ll leave it to the administration and the diplomats to continue to work on this.”

The former military ruler said he requested the meeting with Mr Perry, who is considering a run for president in 2012, to “exchange notes” about the economic success in Texas under the Republican governor’s leadership.

“And then the present state of conditions between the United States and Pakistan saddens me,” Gen Musharraf said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “It saddens me especially because, as the governor said, back in 2006 .... up to 2008 when I left, my relations, Pakistan’s relations with the United States were excellent, and I have always believed that interstate relations have a lot to do with interpersonal relations between the leaders.”

Gen Musharraf said he had excellent relations with former president George W. Bush.

“We could lift the telephone and talk to each other any time, we could look into each other’s eyes and talk very frankly and straight to each other,” he said. “Therefore there was a relationship of trust and confidence between us which held us in good stead.”—AP