By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani left for Washington on a 3-day official visit to the United States on Saturday, officials said.
Services chiefs, ministers and senior officials were at the military Chaklala air base to see off the Prime Minister.
“At the invitation of President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will be visiting Washington on 27-30 July 2008,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
This is the Prime Minister’s first visit to the U.S. since assuming office in March 2008.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with President Bush at the White House on 28 July, the statement said.
“The meeting would be followed by a luncheon hosted in the Prime Minister’s honour by President Bush.
The two leaders will have a wide-ranging exchange of views on bilateral matters and regional and international issues of common interest.”
During his stay in Washington, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to have meetings with senior members of the Administration including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, it said.
The Prime Minister is also expected to have interaction with Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive presidential nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively.
“On Capitol Hill, the Prime Minister would be meetings with members of the Senate and House of Representatives.”
The Prime Minister’s programme also includes a think-tank address, meeting with the US business sector, and an address to the Pakistani-American community. The Prime Minister would also have interaction with the US print and electronic media.
On 29 July, the Prime Minister would be addressing Investors Roundtable on Pakistan’s power sector, being organized with the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC).
“Pakistan and the US enjoy close, friendly and cooperative relations. The U.S. is among our largest trading partners and leading foreign investors in Pakistan,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement said.
“The two countries have had traditionally strong defence and security cooperation. We are committed to developing a broad-based and long-term relationship based on common values and characterized by greater collaboration in the fields of trade and economic cooperation, social sector development, and people-to-people contacts.” In 2004, Pakistan was designated as Major Non-NATO Ally. During President Bush’s visit to Pakistan in March 2006, the two countries affirmed “Strategic Partnership.”
A Strategic Dialogue initiated since then oversees the separate tracks for cooperation in the fields of Economy, Energy, Education, and Science & Technology.
During the Prime Minister’s visit, the focus would be on promoting a new partnership between the two countries on peace and prosperity, the statement said.
“The Prime Minister’s visit is expected to deepen mutual understanding and further strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation in the areas of common interest”.