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Security, Aid Issues Dominate Obama-Zardari Meeting

VOA News 14 January 2011

U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Friday at the White House.

Mr. Zardari traveled to Washington to attend a memorial service for the U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, who died suddenly in December.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the talks will focus on economic reform, democracy and counterterrorism issues. Mr. Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, told VOA Pakistan will discuss delayed payments that the country is due to receive for supporting the Afghan war effort and preferential access to U.S. markets for Pakistani products.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Zardari will attend Mr. Holbrooke's memorial service, which will be held later Friday at Washington's Kennedy Center.

Mr. Zardari also will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

President Zardari's visit comes about a month after the Obama administration's assessment of its Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy and follows a major political crisis in Pakistan that led to a near-collapse of the coalition government.

Pakistani officials say that prior to leaving, Mr. Zardari spoke with all opposition leaders to inform them of his U.S. visit. The move is seen as aimed at ensuring political stability, after ruling coalition partner, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, announced on January 2 it was defecting to the opposition, upsetting the political balance of power in the country.

The MQM has been at odds with the government over tax reforms, increased fuel prices and efforts to improve security.

The party agreed to rejoin the government after Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani pledged to reverse the controversial hike in fuel prices that helped spark the break-up of his ruling coalition.

On Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met in Islamabad with Mr. Zardari and other leaders, stepping up the U.S. plea for Pakistan to fight escalating religious extremism.