European Union top diplomat Javier Solana met here on Monday visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and discussed with him regional and global issues of mutual interests.
At a joint press briefing after the meeting, Solana thanked Musharraf for their "very good and frank exchange of views on three main issues."
On the latest developments in Pakistan, Solana stressed the importance attached by the EU to the current process of democratization in Pakistan and the need to hold free, fair and peaceful parliamentary elections on Feb. 18.
He said Pakistan must have a government according to the will of the people, expressing his hope that it would "move forward on the path of reforms and on the path of the rule of law."
The EU will send a large Election Observation Mission on the ground to monitor Pakistan's parliamentary elections, which has been repeatedly delayed because of political crisis and the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The two also discussed global issues, including the fight against terrorism, which was "fundamental not only for the stability of Pakistan but also for the region" as Solana put it.
They talked about Afghanistan, EU-Afghanistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and the constructive meeting Musharraf had had with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, at the end of last year.
On bilateral ties between Pakistan and the EU, "We want to continue to develop our relationship with Pakistan. We will therefore focus our attention on working together with the government that will be in place after the election," Solona said.
Musharraf is on an 8-day 4-nation visit to Europe to improve the image of his country following a series of unrest and violence.
His tour will also take him to Paris, London and Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.
Source: Xinhua
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