News
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Musharraf asks US for greater market access for Pak products
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Monday asked the US to give Pakistani products a greater market access. Talking to a five-member US congressional delegation led by Congressman Adam Smith, the president stressed the importance of broad-based and long-term ties between the US and Pakistan marked by co-operation in trade, investment, education and health. According to a Foreign Office statement, the president told the delegation that the February elections had strengthened moderate political forces in the country. He underlined the importance of a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy including political, socio-economic, and security measures. Musharraf also stressed the need for progress on the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) initiative that has recently been submitted to the Congress for approval. The congressional delegation said there was a bipartisan consensus on the importance of long-term US-Pakistan ties based on mutual interests. The congressmen praised Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and sympathised with Pakistan over the lives it had lost in the war. The congressmen also met Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani at Prime Minister’s House. Gillani said his government was working on improving the efficiency of the existing power plants, promoting conservation of energy, incorporating alternative sources of energy like wind and solar energy and setting up new plants to overcome its energy shortage. The delegation included Congressman Adam Smith, Congressman Mac Thornberry, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Congressman Bill Shuster and Congressman Mike Conaway. staff report
Courtesy Daily Times