President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday departed for the United States where he is due to hold crucial peace talks with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and meet US President George W. Bush, state media reported.
The leaders of the nuclear-armed neighbours would meet for the first time since India's change of government on the sidelines of a UN gathering, a PTV report said.
Talking to reporters at the airport, Musharraf said he was looking forward to some "positive indications" for progress on all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India during his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"I look forward to it (meeting) and I look forward to its becoming a wholesome meeting dealing with all issues, very much including Kashmir," he said, while responding to a question before leaving for the United States to attend 39th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
"I look forward to some positive indications for progress," he told reporters.
Besides US President George W. Bush, UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, and other world leaders, President Musharraf is also scheduled to meet the Indian premier on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
President Pervez Musharraf made a brief stopover at Manchester airport on Sunday.
He was received by Pakistan's High Commissioner to Britain Dr Maleeha Lodhi along with other officials of Pakistan High Commission.
Dr Maleeha also left for New York in the same plane and she would be assisting Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri during his meetings with the Commonwealth.
OUR CORRESPONDENT ADDS: The President left here for New York on a six-day official visit. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khusro Bakhtiar and other government officials.
In his address to UN General Assembly, the President is expected to raise the issues of Kashmir, Pakistan's role as frontline state against war on terrorism, and economic problems confronting the Muslim Ummah.
Kashmir issue will once again dominate the agenda of meeting on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
It will be the maiden meeting between President Musharraf and Manmohan Singh after the latter was elected as Prime Minister of India.
Experts across the border are attaching great importance to this meeting in the context of ongoing process of dialogue between the two countries.
The Musharraf-Singh meeting comes within 20 days of the talks between Kasuri and Natwar Singh in New Delhi earlier this month to review the first round of composite dialogue process.
A press release on Sunday said that President Musharraf would meet other heads of states/governments and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during this visit.
The President would also meet the Pakistani community and will interact with foreign media and think tanks.
In his address to the UN General Assembly on September 22, the President will highlight Pakistan's position on regional and international issues, including the situation in South Asia, the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, security disarmament issues, terrorism and issues relating to finance and development.
The President will also attend and address a meeting of world leaders on 'Action against Hunger and Poverty' on September 20. The meeting has been convened by President Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. More than 55 countries' heads of state/government would be attending this meeting aimed at exploring new and innovative sources of financing development to meet the UN Millenium Development Goals of 2000, especially those related to elimination of poverty and illiteracy.
On September 22, President Musharraf will have a breakfast meeting with President Bush in New York. The two leaders are expected to review bilateral relations and exchange views on how to further broaden and strengthen the relationship. They will discuss the regional situation, particularly the Pakistan-India dialogue process and the forthcoming elections in Afghanistan.
The two presidents will also review the progress in the war against terrorism and the co-operation between Pakistan and United States in this context.
On September 21, the President will also hold a meeting with President George Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. In addition, he will attend a reception hosted by President Bush for world leaders.
President Musharraf is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike, French President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, Dr Janez Drnovsek, President of the Republic of Slovenia and other world leaders.
In the afternoon of September 22, the President will travel to Washington where he will attend the formal launching of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus and have dinner with the members of Caucus.
The Congressional Pakistan Caucus was established recently and currently has a membership of over 40 US Congressmen. General Pervez Musharraf will also address the Pakistani community in Washington DC.
The President's programme in New York also includes a dinner meeting with business and investment leaders in the US, address to the Council of Foreign Relations/Asia Society and a number of media engagements. He will be chief guest at the Gala dinner co-hosted by Pakistan National Commission for Human Development and UNDP.
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