Zardari arrives in US for Nato summit
Washington, 19 May 2012. President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Washington on Saturday to attend the Nato summit in Chicago, DawnNews reported.
The president will address the two-day summit which will gather Nato’s 28 member states as well as leaders from more than 30 nations and international organisations.
Pakistan was extended the invitation to the summit on Tuesday after Islamabad signaled it was about to end a nearly six-month blockade on supply routes to Afghanistan.
However, Pakistani officials claim the invitation for the summit was made without conditions.
On the other hand, Pakistan Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan had not given up its demand for an apology over the Salala incident. However, the US government had been reluctant to apologise and has stated the apology over the incident should be issued by Nato.
Rehman further said that a final decision on restoration of Nato supplies was yet to be taken as negotiations between both countries were still underway.
http://dawn.com/2012/05/19/zardari-arrives-in-us-for-nato-summit
Afghan leader in Chicago for key Nato summit
Chicago, 19 May 2012. Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Chicago on Friday ahead of talks with US President Barack Obama and other Nato leaders at a key summit for Afghanistan’s future, an alliance official said.
Obama will hold one-on-one talks with Karzai on Sunday on the sidelines of the summit, at which Nato allies will chart the final two years of the war before 130,000 foreign combat troops are withdrawn in late 2014.
The summit will also seek consensus on the structure and financing of the estimated $4.1 billion annual cost of Afghan forces after 2014.
Obama last met Karzai during a surprise trip to Kabul earlier this month when the two leaders inked a deal cementing 10 years of US aid for Afghanistan after Nato combat troops leave in 2014.
The two-day summit, which will continue on Monday, will gather Nato’s 28 member states as well as leaders from more than 30 nations and international organisations, including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
http://dawn.com/2012/05/19/afghan-leader-in-chicago-for-key-nato-summit/
