Islamabad, June 12: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf starts a high profile four-nation tour next week that will take him to the United States, Britain, France and Germany, officials said today. The highlight of the trip will be June 24 talks with US President George W. Bush, who has hailed General Musharraf as Washington's "tight" ally in the war on terrorism and issued a privileged invitation to his Camp David retreat.
Musharraf departs Pakistan late Monday for Britain where he is due to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair during his June 17-20 visit, a Foreign Ministry official said.
He lands in Washington on the night of June 23 and heads straight to Camp David to meet Bush. Back in the capital he will meet top pentagon officials, Congress leaders, and the heads of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the official said.
Musharraf heads to New York on June 27 where he is set to meet United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan the following day. On June 29 he flies back to Europe for the French and German legs of his trip.
Musharraf is expected to meet French President Jacques Chirac on June 30. The German itinerary was yet to be finalised, the official said.
The tour takes Musharraf to the key proponents of both sides of the debate over invading Iraq on the grounds of its alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction, which still have not been found. Bureau Report