Afghan, Pakistani presidents to meet
« Thread Started on Dec 18, 2008, 9:25am »
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Afghan, Pakistani presidents to meet
Posted: 08:02 AM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — Cooperating in the fight against terror will
be on the agenda when Pakistan’s president visits Afghanistan for the first
time Friday.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will be traveling to the Afghan
capital of Kabul, where he will be meeting Hamid Karzai and other high-ranking
government officials, said Karzai’s office and state-run Pakistani media
Thursday.
The visit comes amid ongoing warfare and tension along the
Afghan-Pakistan border.
Some of the Taliban militants conducting attacks in Afghanistan have been
based in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province and nearby tribal regions.
The group’s resurgence has prompted U.S. commanders and the incoming
Barack Obama administration to put more of a focus on confronting militants
along the volatile border.
In the past, Afghan and Pakistani leaders have blamed the other for the
security problems in the region.
Zardari will be accompanied by the governor of North-West Frontier
Province, as well as his foreign minister and adviser on internal affairs.
The two presidents also will discuss expansion of bilateral relations and
trade, and they plan to hold a joint press conference at the Presidential
Palace here.