http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-1-2006_pg7_30

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Aziz visiting US later this month

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will be in Washington DC in the third week of January as a part of his weeklong visit to the United States.

This would be Aziz’s first official visit to the US in his capacity as prime minister. He is expected to meet with President George W Bush and other US leaders.

Aziz was supposed to visit the US in 2005, but it visit was postponed. online

Prime Minister Aziz and President Bush to meet on Jan. 24: Official US announcement

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (APP)- President George Bush will "welcome Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the White House on January 24," says a White House announcement Friday.

In a statement, the Press Secretary to White House said, "this will be the Prime Minister's first visit to the White House since taking office."

"The President looks forward to discussing earthquake reconstruction, bilateral trade and economic ties, and the war on terror," the statement added.

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Pakistan to seek early finalization of BIT: PM’s visit to US

ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: Pakistan will urge the United States for early finalization of the much-awaited Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which will lead to initiation of a dialogue on signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

An official told Dawn on Friday that the issue among others would be discussed during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to Washington later this month.

The premier would discuss with the US authorities the current position of the BIT and its early finalization. The signing of BIT would provide a platform for the initiation of talks on the FTA.

Meanwhile, a US official delegation was arriving here on January 18 to hold final round of talks with the Pakistani authorities to finalize the remaining controversial articles of the BIT.

According to the official, Pakistan was also seeking additional market access from the US for its textile products which were currently facing high tariffs.

Pakistan will also seek the inclusion of more items in the US generalized system of preference (GSP). The US restored 14 tariff lines (products) of Pakistan in its GSP scheme in July 2005.

According to the official, the delegation would again raise the issue of establishment of qualified industrial zones (QIZs) with the US authorities in tribal and other terrorist prone areas to reduce the incidence of poverty.

Islamabad is seeking a similar arrangement of the Israel-Jordan QIZ for both Pakistan and Afghanistan to generate employment opportunities in remote areas.

Under this arrangement, products produced in such zones could be exportable to the US market duty free or at preferential customs duty. The benefit derived from the QIZs could be shared appropriately between Pakistan and Afghanistan, added the official.

In the QIZs, Pakistan could unilaterally establish factories or could establish in collaboration with the Afghan government, particularly in Afghanistan.

The official said Pakistan had proposed special trading arrangement for economically-depressed regions, particularly the tribal areas of the country as well as working with the US for economic development of Afghanistan.

A study recently conducted in Pakistan showed strong correlation between extremism and incidence of poverty in the country. The official said that under the proposed plan, the government had also decided to involve the private sector to address poverty issues in economically-depressed regions.

However, the official said that in case the US promised a preferential market for Pakistani products, this would create an incentive for the private sector to invest in these regions, create employment and generate economic activity.

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Pakistan PM to visit United States from January 18-24

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will pay an official visit to the United States from 18-24 January 2006, a foreign office spokesperson announced on Friday.

The visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries on the broad range of issues in the framework of the growing strategic relations between Pakistan and United States, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Prime Minister will meet with President George W. Bush at the White House on Jan 24. The talks with President Bush will cover a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.

Other Engagements

The Prime Minister's other engagements include meetings with senior Administration officials and leading members of the U.S. Congress, interaction with the U.S. business and corporate leadership, participation in IT-related events, addresses to some major U.S. think-tanks, and interface with the Pakistani-American community.

The Prime Minister will have a working luncheon being hosted in his honour by Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations in New York.

This is Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's first visit to the United States since assuming office in August 2004.

The visit would reinforce the multifaceted cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.

The visit will help the two sides to further deepen the vision of a
broad-based, long-term Pakistan-U.S. strategic relationship, the statement said. •

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Pakistani PM to visit US next week, the President to Switzerland

ISLAMABAD, Jan 13 (KUNA) -- The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, will leave for a week-long maiden visit to the United States on January 18, earlier scheduled to take place in July 2005 but was put off at the eleventh hour.

During his visit to Washington, said official sources, he would hold talks with President George W. Bush at the White House on January 23 on Pak-US trade and economic ties, anti-terrorism cooperation, Indo-Pak relations and latest situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister is also likely to discuss the issue of enhanced market access for Pakistani products in the United States, said sources, adding, he would also hold talks on bilateral investment treaty with the US officials.

Meanwhile, President General Pervez Musharraf will leave for Davos, Switzerland on January 24 to participate in the World Economic Forum, on the same day the Prime Minister arrives back from a weeklong visit to the United States.

President Musharraf will address the world's political and business leaders at the annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos between January 25 and 29.

He would also hold important meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the forum. (end) amn.

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http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html


SIZE="3"]Shaukat to meet Bush on 24th[/SIZE]

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will hold talks with US President George W Bush at the White House on January 24, the White House announced on Friday.


"The president looks forward to discussing earthquake reconstruction, bilateral trade and economic ties, and the war on terror," said a White House statement. In Islamabad, a Foreign Office statement said the prime minister would pay a visit to the US from January 18-24, 2006 as part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries on a broad range of issues "in the framework of the growing strategic relations between Pakistan and the United States".

"The talks with President Bush will cover a wide range of bilateral and regional issues. The prime minister’s other engagements include meetings with senior administration officials and leading members of the US Congress," the statement added. The prime minister would also attend a luncheon hosted by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York.

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PM Shaukat to lure US firms to invest in Pakistan

(Updated at 1750 PST) By Sami Abraham


New York: Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz is expected to persuade US companies to make investment in Pakistan during his week long visit to USA scheduled to start from Jan18.

Mr. Aziz, during his four day stay in New York will visit Stock Market, attend meeting of Business Council of International Standing and meet with the representatives of different US companies.

He will attend the a luncheon, hosted jointly by Asia Society and Council on Foreign Relations, and spend a day at UN headquarters meeting with Secretary general Kofi anan and heads of various UN organizations.

Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz will arrive Washington DC on Jan 22, where he is scheduled to meet with US Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury and various members of US Congress. Prime Minister will visit White House on Jan 24 to meet with President Bush.

He will also meet with the leading Pakistani community leaders and visit Heritage Foundation in Washington DC.

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PM Shaukat arrives New York

(Updated at 1900 PST) By Mahmood Sham

New York: Prime Minster of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz has landed New York Wednesday.

It is Mr Aziz’s first ever-official visit of US since he has taken over charge of his office.

Meeting with President Bush and other key US leaders is on the premier’s agenda of the tour.

He would exchange views on several issues of bilateral interests including global war on terror and the measures initiated for rehabilitation of Pakistani quake victims.

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US investors invited to set up textile mills in Pakistan

(Updated at 1630 PST)

NEW YORK: Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz has invited American industrialists to set up textile mills in Pakistan.

In a meeting here with the US importers of textile products, Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz told that Pakistan was the 4th largest cotton producing country of the world and as such, a huge possibility of investment in textile sector existed, which might be availed of by the US industrialists also.

He advised US entrepreneurs to plan for setting up textile mills in Pakistan. Prime minister said that $5 billion have already been invested in textile sector during the past five years.

He expressed the hope that Pakistan’s exports during current fiscal year would reach $17 billion.

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Shaukat opens proceedings of NYSE

By Salim Bokhari

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shaukar Aziz on Friday became the first head of state from Pakistan to have rung the bells at the New York Stock Exchange opening the proceedings of this gigantic business center located in the heart of Wall Street.

He was very warmly received by the prominent business leaders besides a large number of representatives of brokerage groups. The prime minister then took a stroll in the main hall where hectic proceedings were witnessed.

Before going to the New York Stock Exchange, the prime minister held a breakfast meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of New York Stock Exchange John Thain and shared with him the remarkable performance of the Pakistan economy during the past six years.

Besides this, Shaukat Aziz also informed him the economic reforms package initiated by his government and the transparent manner in which business deals were now conducted in Pakistan.

John Thain fully appreciated the economic recovery and said US investors were very keen to invest in Pakistani companies adding that what was preventing such a development was the fact that these companies were not listed in American markets.

Head of NYSC, John Thain proposed to the prime minister that Pakistan may consider listing OGDC and other major textile companies in the American market. He said Pakistan might take American Depository Receipts route instead of General Depository receipt which were listed in European markets.

Speaking briefly at the NYSE, the prime minister expressed his gratitude to Thain for inviting him to ring the bell to start the trading of $21 trillion market. The prime minister said over the next five years, Pakistan was targeting a growth rate from 6 to 8 ;percent annually and despite the damage caused by the recent earthquake, Pakistan was likely to achieve a growth rate of 7 per cent this year. Those who also visited NYSE with the Prime Minister include Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Ambassador Jehangir Karamat and Dr Ashfaque Hassan Khan.

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