By NNN-APP,
New York : President Asif Ali Zardari arrives here Monday to lead the Pakistani delegation at the 63d session of the United Nations General Assembly, which takes place in the face of serious economic and security challenges confronting the global community.
Besides addressing the world’s top diplomatic forum, President Zardari is scheduled to meet leaders from a number of countries including President George W Bush, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China, President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, President of Brazil Luiz Ino Lula da Silva and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai.
The president will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Naveed Qamar, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security Mahmoud Ali Durrani and senior officials.
In his address, the President is expected to spell out priorities of the democratically elected government in security and economic areas.
Soon after his arrival in New York, the President will meet Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury Robert M Kimmitt. In the evening, he will attend the banquet to be hosted by President George Bush in honour of heads of states and governments attending the UN meeting. He will also have a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
A special high-level conference aimed at evolving a comprehensive plan to provide urgently-needed economic assistance to Pakistan will also take place on September 26 on the sidelines of the UN summit of world leaders.
The “Friends of Pakistan” will be hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari and attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and other representatives of the G-8 countries including France, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, China, Saudi Arabia and United Aran Emirates (UAE).
The conference will assess Pakistan’s needs and come up with short and long-term strategies to help the country come out of its economic hardships.
During the visit, the Pakistani leader has interviews lined up with the Washington Post, CNN and the Wall Street Journal.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator Josehp Biden will also call on President Zardari and discuss US-Pakistan relations. Biden is a key sponsor of a landmark legislation pending before Congress on increasing US assistance for Pakistan to $ 1.5 billion annually for a period of ten years.