President to visit Russia, Belgium from 14th

ISLAMABAD - Immediately after the presentation of budget 2009-10 in the Parliament, President Asif Ali
Zardari would start his weeklong visits abroad including Russia and Belgium.
President Zardari would start his two-day long visit to Russia from June 14, 2009, and attend Shanghai
Corporation Organization (SCO) Summit at Yekaterinburg. According to officials, the President would meet his
counterparts from Russia, China, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on the sidelines of the Summit.
Afterwards, the President would visit Brussels for three-day European Union summit starting from June 17. His
visit to Brussels would focus issues of market access for Pakistani goods.
Officials hope that the President would have the opportunity to meet the heads of the states, governments and
international bodies on the sidelines of the EU moot at Brussels.
PPI adds: On the SCO summit sidelines, the President is also likely to meet the presidents of Russia, China,
Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar on Sunday said in Brussels the president will also hold meetings
with various heads of states and governments of a number of countries and international bodies. He said the EU
summit holds special importance for the country, as it will also consider Pakistan case for greater access to its
products particularly textile manufactures to the European countries markets.
He also denied the reports appeared in a section of the media that the President Zardari will be visiting six
countries next week.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan has made out a case for economic development as a key to fighting militancy
and insisted on trade instead of aid and loans as the vehicle for economic uplift. The three Ds policy endorsed
by the Parliament envisages Dialogue, Development and Deterrence as the policy to contain militancy and
extremism.
During President Zardaris recent visit to US, UK and France market access was emphasised upon the leaders
of the countries eliciting favourable response.
In this context, French President Sarkozy pledged to plead Pakistans case at the EU summit and the British
Prime Minister addressed a personal letter to the EU urging the member countries to seriously and urgently
consider the issue at the forthcoming summit for helping Pakistan in its fight against militancy.
President Zardari has been pleading with the world leaders that
Pakistans industry and exports were undermined first due to Afghan war in the eighties in which Pakistan was a
partner with the international community and after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan due to spill over to
Pakistan and rise of extremism.
It is estimated that had Pakistan not joined the international to fight against the Soviet Union, countrys exports
would have been four times greater what they are today. Therefore, the international community now owes it to
Pakistan to help it overcome the economic woes by liberalising the import regime of Pakistani goods to their
markets.