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ISLAMABAD, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf will embark upon an eight-day visit to Belgium, France,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom from Jan. 20.
Musharraf will be accompanied by members of the
caretaker cabinet and senior officials during the visit, said Foreign Office
spokesman Muhammad Sadiq in his weekly briefing here on Wednesday.
Musharraf will meet European Union leaders in
Brussels at the EU headquarters including Javier Solana. He will also address
the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said the spokesman.
The President's talks with EU leaders would cover the
entire spectrum of bilateral relations with emphasis on exploring ways and means
to further enhance cooperation in various fields including commerce, economy,
trade and defense, said the spokesman.
"The EU is the largest trading partner with the
overall annual volume of trade worth 9 billion dollars and also the largest
foreign investor and development cooperation partner," said the spokesman.
Musharraf's engagements in Brussels would also
include talks with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Vehhofstadt aimed at promoting
understanding and cooperation.
Musharraf will also address the Pakistani community,
business leaders and a Brussels-based think tank, he added.
On Jan. 21-22, Musharraf will visit France to hold
talks with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy besides addressing French
business leaders, the Pakistani community and representative of a think tank.
During his visit to the eastern Swiss town of Davos,
Musharraf will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on
Jan.23-25.
Musharraf will also meet a number of political and
corporate leaders in Davos on the sidelines of the WEF meeting.
During his visit to the U.K. on Jan. 26-28, Musharraf
will meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He will also address the Pakistan
community and business leaders there.
Replying a question, Sadiq said that the focus of
Musharraf's engagements during his visit abroad would be bilateral relations but
he would also exchange views on the issue of terrorism.
About the possibility of Musharraf's meeting with
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Davos, the spokesman said that
Musharraf's engagements in Davos were being finalized.