(dpa) - The European Union's foreign policy chief was in Islamabad on Tuesday to hold talks with the leadership of Pakistan's newly elected government.
Javier Solana arrived from Kabul where he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and paid a brief visit to the headquarters of the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) on Monday.
"In Pakistan Mr Solana will discuss bilateral relations with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi," the country's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said. He was also scheduled to talk to media in the afternoon.
It is his fourth diplomatic tour to Pakistan in his capacity as top EU foreign policy representative but first since the political backers of military-dictator-turned-civilian-leader Musharraf were thrashed in February 18 elections.
Brussels pressed hard the president for holding the polls after he imposed emergency on November 3 in a bid to prevent a Supreme Court ruling that could have disqualified him for the next five-year term.
The EU also sent an election team of about 140 to Pakistan to monitor the February elections which have been judged as reasonably fair and democratic.
"We have to continue to show our support and engagement, in particular after the (recent) political developments (in Pakistan)," an official from Solana's office said ahead of the trip.