16 May 2006

Alliance officials visit Islamabad Background NATO's assistance to Pakistan The NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo visited Islamabad from 9 to 11 May 2006 and met with President Pervez Musharraf and other Pakistani officials. The Deputy Secretary General was accompanied by the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan , Hikmet Cetin. They discussed with President Musharraf issues of common concern to both NATO and Pakistan such as the fight against terrorism and extremism, how NATO and Pakistan could strengthen dialogue and cooperation and stability in neighbouring Afghanistan . President Musharraf thanked the Deputy Secretary General for NATO’s assistance in the wake of the earthquake that struck Pakistan in October of last year and expressed satisfaction about the growing cooperation between NATO and Pakistan . Ambassador Minuto-Rizzo said NATO would look for further opportunities to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in view of the mutually shared experience of civil emergency in the earthquake relief effort. He also said NATO would welcome greater participation of Pakistani military and civilian personnel at the NATO Schools, opened for Pakistani officials last year. Ambassador Minuto-Rizzo briefed President Musharraf on the Alliance ’s planned expansion of its ISAF mission to the south of Afghanistan in the summer of this year and about NATO’s plans to send a military liaison officer to Islamabad , in order to enhance military contacts in the context of the ISAF expansion to a region bordering Pakistan .