Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan on Wednesday said the visit of US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage would further strengthen the ties between Pakistan and United States.
Commenting on Armitage's visit to Pakistan, the spokesman told APP, "Pakistan and the US have strong and close relations. High-level visits provide an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations in diverse spheres."
He said, Armitage is coming here on Wednesday from Delhi. Tomorrow, he has a busy schedule in Islamabad."
The spokesman said, he will have substantive talks with Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and have a meeting with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.
Armitage will also call on the Prime Minister, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz.
Khan said, the agenda for talks and meetings includes bilateral relations, co-operation in the war against terrorism, and Pakistan-India relations. The two sides will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq, he added.
This is Armitage's fifth visit to Pakistan. About appointment of Ambassador Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, the spokesman dispelled the impression that his appointment would be the step towards asking Pakistan to send troops to Iraq.
"No there are no such linkages," Khan said, adding, Qazi's appointment as UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Iraq and our decision to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq are two different and separate matters. He said, Ambassador Qazi has been selected in his personal capacity. The question of sending troops to Iraq has totally different parameters that have been clearly articulated by our leadership.
"So far, no decision has been taken in this regard," Masood Khan said.
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