President Asif Ali Zardari unlikely to meet President Barack Obama

President Asif Ali Zardari is unlikely to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of annual NATO summit in Chicago.

According to the media reports, Tom Donilom, the Nation Security Advisor to Barack Obama said the Pakistani president will attend the Chicago summit, with a final deal apparently close on reopening crucial NATO supplies.

In the meantime, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has also confirmed that President Zardari will duly represent Pakistan in the Chicago summit. However, no plan has been announced up till now for a one-on-one meeting between President Obama and President Zardari.

The two leaders met lastly in Seoul in March to attempt to mend an anti-terror alliance almost fractured in November by the assassination of 24 Pakistan troops in NATO air attack.

Contrary to Pakistan, President Obama will hold a meeting with Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on sidelines of the Chicago summit. The annual moot has been launched to mark a critical milestone in ending the war.

The US president met the Afghan president a couple of weeks ago in Kabul when they signed an agreement cementing 10 years of US aid for Afghanistan after withdrawal of allied forced in 2014.

Under the deal, the American forces will stay behind to train Afghan forces and pursue the remnants of Al-Qaeda until 2024.

The National Security Advisor said the Afghan war would be discussed in detailed sittings at the two-day moot, where leaders of over 61 countries will participate.

He said, “NATO will formally decide to begin shifting its mission next year, so that lead responsibility for combat would rest on newly trained Afghan forces and foreign troops would be in train and advise mode”.

The meeting will also seek consensus on the structure and financing of the $4 billion annual cost of Afghan forces after the withdrawal of foreign troops.

He added, “Progress on securing offers from US partners to ensure the full cost does not fall on the United States, noting pledges of $110 million, $100 million and $195 million a year from Britain, Australia and Germany”.

Donilom informed that leaders in Chicago would also discuss their presence in Afghanistan after 2014 and the shape of a small NATO forces expected to remain to offer training and advice for Afghan forces.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on May 18 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.