PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN TO VISIT CANADA

September 24, 2003
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, will visit Ottawa, Canada, September 24 to 26, 2003. He will be accompanied by the Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khurshid M. Kasuri and the Pakistani Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

"I welcome this opportunity to further develop the longstanding relationship between our two countries and to discuss issues of common interest, including regional security," said the Prime Minister.

In Ottawa, President Musharraf will meet with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Speaker of the Senate, Dan Hays and members of the Canadian-Pakistani Community.

Discussions between the two leaders will focus on the roles both countries are playing in the international campaign against terrorism and the reconstruction of Afghanistan, as well as on the transition to democracy in Pakistan.

Canada's relations with Pakistan are based on significant social, cultural and business ties which are reinforced by the presence in Canada of a large Canadian-Pakistani community. Canada has a longstanding development cooperation relationship with Pakistan which has provided more than $2 billion in aid since 1951.

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