Pakistan's Musharraf in Talks With Egypt's MubarakPakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf arrived in Cairo on Saturday and began talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on bilateral, regional and international issues."Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Egypt. It appreciates the pivotal role of Egypt in building peace and stability in the Middle East," Musharraf said in a written arrival statement. After being met at the airport by Prime Minister Atef Obeid, Musharraf went into talks with the president which are due to resume on Sunday morning. They are expected to cover bilateral relations and regional peace and security issues, especially relations between India and Pakistan and the question of Kashmir, diplomatic sources said. The two leaders are also expected to discuss the G-77 Third World summit which Musharraf attended this week in Havana. Musharraf, accompanied by Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar, is scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi, Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Egypt's highest Islamic institution, on Sunday. "The ties between the two countries are rooted in shared faith and values, and are characterised by commonality of interests. It is therefore natural for the two to enhance their mutual cooperation and realise their full potential, particularly in the economic field," Musharraf said. "Given the important role that the two countries play in their respective regional settings, increased cooperation between them will augment their ability to respond to the common challenges faced by them." Musharraf said in an interview with the Al Ahram daily that Pakistan and Egypt faced similar social and economic problems. "Now they have common political interests, which means they should promote bilateral relations, and I think the future of the relationship between the two countries is bright," he said. |
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