ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan and United States on Saturday agreed to launch an institutional framework for a broad-based and long-term strategic partnership that would include a dialogue on energy security.

The agreement was reached at the 60-minute summit meeting between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and visiting US President George W. Bush at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

The meeting was followed by restricted-level talks with key presidential aides. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan assisted President Musharraf while US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley assisted President Bush.

President Bush’s thrust was on issues of terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation and democracy in Pakistan as was also evident by his remarks at a joint news conference later.

President Musharraf focused on strategic cooperation, Kashmir, Pakistan’s quest for civilian nuclear technology and market access.

In his opening remarks at the press stakeout, President Musharraf underscored the Pakistan-US strategic partnership and declared: “Today, with my interaction with the (US) president, we have revived – and maybe further strengthened – this relationship. We have laid the foundations of a very strong, sustainable, broad-based and a long-term relationship between Pakistan and United States.”

He said this strategic relationship would include commencing of US-Pakistan strategic dialogue within an institutional framework that would cover trade and investment, defence, education, and cooperation in the joint fight against terrorism and extremism.

In his opening remarks, President Bush stated: “Mr president and I reaffirmed our shared commitment to a broad and lasting strategic partnership. And that partnership begins with close cooperation in the war on terror.”

DEMOCRACY: Indicating that he had an ‘extensive briefing’ from President Musharraf on democracy in Pakistan, Mr Bush said: “In the long run he understands that extremism can be defeated by freedom and democracy and prosperity and better education.”

Answering a question, the US president declared: “I believe democracy is Pakistan’s future....President Musharraf has made clear that he intends to hold elections.”

He underlined that President Musharraf envisioned a modern state that provided an alternative to radicalism.

The US leader saw elections scheduled for 2007 as a ‘great opportunity’ for Pakistan and hinted that he had been given an assurance by President Musharraf for free and fair elections.

“The president understands these elections need to be open and honest. America will continue to working...working with Pakistan to lay the foundations of democracy,” he said.

At this point, President Musharraf stepped in to defend democratic credentials of his government, listing a number of steps taken to introduce sustainable democracy in the country. He talked of empowerment of people, women, minorities and liberating the media.

Admitting that his uniform issue needed to be addressed, Gen Musharraf emphasised that he would follow constitutional norms to do so. “I will never violate the constitution of Pakistan,” he said. He said that constitutional norms allowed him to be in uniform as the president until 2007.

When President Musharraf ended his response, saying “long answer”, President Bush looked at him and said: “Yes.. important answer.”

N-PROLIFERATION: Mr Bush said: “Pakistan is an important partner in fighting proliferation...We’ll continue to work together to ensure that the world’s most dangerous weapons do not end up in the hands of the terrorists.”

He thanked Pakistan for agreeing to join the Container Security Initiative.

KASHMIR: Emphasising that Pakistan and India now had a historic opportunity to work toward lasting peace, President Bush stated: “I encourage all sides to continue to make progress on important issues, including Kashmir.” He described President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as leaders with courage and vision.

He said: “The best way for Kashmir to be resolved is for leaders of both countries to step up and lead. And that’s exactly what President Musharraf has done, and that’s what Prime Minister Singh has assured me he wants to do, and that is to resolve this situation.”

He was of the view that the commitment required at the leadership level was there and the US would continue to encourage the parties to come together.

President Musharraf said: “I did request the president to remain involved in facilitating a resolution of all disputes, including, obviously, the Kashmir dispute.”

President Bush said a bilateral investment treaty was being negotiated and praised Pakistan’s economic performance.

Expressing support for President Musharraf’s vision of a reconstruction opportunity zone in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mr Bush said: “This vision means that products manufactured in those zones will be eligible for duty-free entry into the United States. So we’re working to create such zones.”

“Our idea is to continue to work with our strong friend and ally, work to keep the peace, to win the war on terror, to help the spread of democracy and freedom, and to encourage vital economic development,” he said.

ENERGY: Mr Bush announced that the US Secretary of Energy would be coming to Pakistan soon to work on Pakistan’s energy needs.

However, he was non-committal on the question of whether the US was working on offering Pakistan a civilian nuclear deal. Short of ruling it out, he said: “We discussed a civilian nuclear programme, and I explained that Pakistan and India are different countries with different needs and different histories. So, as we proceed forward, our strategy will take in effect those well-known differences.”

IRAN: On the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, Mr Bush said: “He (Musharraf) explained to me the natural gas situation here in the country. We understand you need to get natural gas in the region, and that’s fine.”

Mr Bush said: “Our beef with Iran is not the pipeline; our beef with Iran is the fact that they want to develop a nuclear weapon. And I believe a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranians would be very dangerous for all of us. It would endanger world peace. So we’re working very hard to convince the Iranians to get rid of their nuclear ambitions.”

TERRORISM: President Bush made repeated references to terrorism and need for closer cooperation on defeating terrorists, some of whom, he said were lodged in Pakistan and tried to kill President Musharraf.

When a journalist asked what he would like to see President Musharraf do more in the war on terrorism, Mr Bush said: “There’s a lot of work to be done in defeating Al Qaeda. The president and I know that. We spent a good while this morning talking about the work that needs to be done.”

Hinting that there were gaps in intelligence-sharing, he said the two sides were working on it.

Mr Bush declared: “Part of my mission today was to determine whether or not the president is as committed as he has been in the past to bringing these terrorists to justice, and he is.”

At this point, President Musharraf intervened to say: “The intentions of Pakistan and my intentions are absolutely clear...we have a strong partnership on the issue of fighting terrorism.”

He underscored that the resolve and strategy was there to deal with terrorists and extremists but conceded that there might be ‘slippages’ in the implementation part.

Mr Bush appreciated President Musharraf’s ‘bold decision’ to fight terrorists after 9/11.

Mr Bush said: “Pakistan has captured or killed hundreds of Al Qaeda terrorists. Pakistan has lost brave citizens in this fight. We’re grateful to all who have given their lives in this vital cause. We honour the Pakistanis who continue to risk their lives to confront the terrorists.”

In a reference to Thursday’s bombing in Karachi, Mr Bush said: “We’re not going to back down in the face of these killers. We’ll fight this war and we will win this war together.”

BLASPHEMOUS ACT: President Musharraf said he also touched on the ‘very thorny issue’ of the blasphemous act against the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Stating that the US president had showed concern, he added: “I’m grateful to him for showing concern toward the sentiments of the Muslim world.”

EARTHQUAKE: President Bush said the US was proud its Pakistani friends had recovered from the devastation of the earthquake.