ISLAMABAD, April 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Saturday arrived in Islamabad from New Delhi on a two-day official visit for talks on bilateral relations and regional and international issues.

    During his stay, Koizumi will call on President General Pervez Musharraf and hold official talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz, likely covering nuclear proliferation, Tokyo's economic assistance to Islamabad as well as the UN reforms.

    Koizumi will make a formal announcement about the resumption ofthe Official Development Assistance to Islamabad, said Japanese ambassador Nobuaka Tanaka Wednesday at a news briefing here. Pakistan had been receiving roughly 500 million US dollars of Japanese assistance annually prior to 1998 when it conducted nuclear tests.

    Koizumi will also raise the nuclear proliferation issue with the Pakistani leadership since Japan has serious reservations about the alleged Islamabad-Pyongyang cooperation in nuclear technology, the ambassador added.

    He, however, said Japan will not link its planned resumption ofthe Yen Package Loan to Islamabad with the nuclear issue. Despite having serious concerns over nuclear matters, Japan has decided toresume the annual assistance suspended in 1998, he noted.

    Besides, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed duringKoizumi's visit, including 88 million dollar grant for a water supply scheme and a barrage project, according to the ambassador.

    English-language newspaper The Nation Saturday quoted an unnamed official as saying that the focus of Koizumi's talks with the Pakistani leadership will be on the UN reforms and he would seek Pakistan's support for Japan's bid to get the permanent UN Security Council seat.

    The official said Pakistan is unlikely to announce its support for Tokyo's permanent seat in the UN Security Council in response to Koizumi's request. Islamabad is against the increase in permanent UN Security Council members as it does not want more centers of privileges in the United Nations, he explained.

    Koizumi late Thursday kicked off his six-day visit to four Asian and European countries, India, Pakistan, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Enditem