Canada's new Deputy Prime Minister John Manley will go ahead with his scheduled visit to Pakistan and India, a Canadian official said. Manley, formerly foreign minister was named Canada's new Deputy Prime Minister on Tuesday, will meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his visit to the subcontinent between January 18-27. Manley will participate in bilateral dialogue in India and Pakistan and will underscore Canada's encouragement of regional co-operation in the lead up to the June 2002 G-8 summit, A foreign affairs ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
Canada is to preside the G8 summit, to be held in Alberta, Canada. The visit to the Asian nations by Manley, also named on Tuesday as minister of infrastructure and crown corporations, comes at a time of high tension between India and Pakistan.
And for the Indian section of the visit, from January 20, he is to hold meetings with President K R Narayanan, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi.

During the January 18-19 trip to Pakistan Manley will meet in Islamabad with Foreign Affairs Minister Abdul Sattar. Manley, seen as a rising star in the Liberal Party and probable candidate to succeed President Jean Chretien once he decides to retire, was succeeded as foreign minister by William Graham.
Bureau Report