President General Pervez Musharraf and Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson on Monday held wide-ranging talks, with both leaders emphasising the importance of a peaceful resolution of the lingering Kashmir dispute for durable peace and development in South Asia.
The two leaders, who led formal talks in the summer residence of the Swedish Prime Minister, also discussed defence issues, war on terrorism and agreed on further expanding the trade and economic relations to the mutual benefit of both countries.
"The Kashmir dispute has to be resolved for the establishment of lasting peace in the region - without resolution of this long-standing dispute there cannot be durable peace," asserted President Musharraf in interaction with media after three and half hour talks, about 160 km south of Stockholm.
The talks included two hours formal meeting between the two sides and one and a half-hour talks over lunch.
Host leader Persson told newsmen that Sweden welcomes the recent Pakistan-India peace process, urging that "it must move ahead."
The Kashmir issue, he said, needed to be resolved for long-term stability and economic development of South Asia.
President Musharraf underscored that three parties are involved in the Kashmir dispute including Pakistan, India and the people of Kashmir.
The Swedish leader said they also discussed the strategic importance of Pakistan in the region and called for "sound and strong" relationship between Pakistan and its neighbours.
Persson disclosed that a Swedish business delegation would shortly visit Pakistan to explore ways and means to further augment the rich Scandinavian country's trade and economic ties with the important South Asian country.
He identified information technology, paper pulp, and textiles as areas where the two countries can increase their bilateral trade.
"We hope that Pakistan will continue to grow economically on healthy lines," he said.
President Musharraf told newsmen that Pakistan has been a leading partner in the fight against terrorism and is moving strongly against al-Qaeda.
"We have been moving militarily as well as politically."
He said Pakistan takes a holistic view of the issue of terrorism and said he is confident of flushing out al-Qaeda.
Replying to a question President Musharraf said Pakistan Air Force and Swedish companies are in touch with each other on the matter of acquiring Ericsson radar.
In response to another question, he said Pakistan is looking at various options via a vis acquiring high-tech aircraft.
There are many choices and Swedish aircraft Grippen is also under consideration, he added.
Pakistan, Musharraf said, believes that balance must be maintained in the conventional field of defence in South Asia. Pakistan has no intention of ever using nuclear weapons as they are meant for deterrence purposes, he told the questioner.
Answering another question, the President said Pakistan had diplomatic relations with the Taleban but it wanted them to change their rigid attitude.
"We did not support Talebanisation," he said.
He said if the international community had recognised the Taleban, there would have been as many as 70 embassies in that country, who would definitely have urged them to change their rigid approach.
"There may not have blown off the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan, then."
Swedish Prime Minister Persson, in his remarks, said the international community should fulfil its responsibility in extending its co-operation for transition of democracy in Afghanistan.
"The international community must not forget Afghanistan," underlined the Swedish leader, who was on crutches following a recent surgery on his hipbone.
In response to a question about Pakistan's position if asked to send troops to Iraq, President Musharraf stated that Pakistan would go to Iraq only under the United Nations mandate and it the Iraqi people want us to come for rehabilitation of their country.
During the talks, President Musharraf said, he briefed the host leader about Pak-India relations, Pakistan's position on the Kashmir dispute, the current situation in Afghanistan and recent economic achievements of the country including the vast investment opportunities that it has offered to foreign entrepreneurs.
"Our interaction has been very fruitful -we focused on boosting economic ties and looked at ways and means to expand trade and industrial co-operation," Musharraf told the newsmen.
He said Pakistan has adopted pro-poor development policies, as it wanted to pass on benefits of recent economic success to all segments of population.
Sweden, the President said, can extend co-operation to Pakistan in the fields of health and education.
Minister for Industries Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Senator Wasim Shehzad, MNAs Malik Amin Aslam, Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, Information Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood and Ambassador Shahid Kamal assisted the President during the talks.
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