Talks will be successful, hopes president
NEW YORK, Sept 20: Expressing the hope that there will be a breakthrough in his first meeting with the Indian prime minister, President Pervez Musharraf said here on Sunday he expected the talks to get the impetus they deserved.
Saying that "I have great hopes about this meeting," Gen Musharraf told TV reporters on his arrival in New York: "I am going to these talks with an open mind." Asked about a time-frame for the progress in talks with Indian leader Manmohan Singh, he said: "There cannot be a time-frame. I am not even asking for a time-frame. This is the beginning."
Reiterating that it was an important meeting, he said: "We should know each other better." However, he stressed: "There should be some indication of where we are heading in future." This will be President Musharraf's first meeting with the new Indian prime minister and the two are expected to meet on Friday Sept 24.
BUSH MEETING: Asked about his meeting with President George Bush, Gen Musharraf said he would discuss issues confronting the international community. "I have some ideas about how to improve this situation and we will discuss that.
We will also talk about our region, about Pakistan's struggle against terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan. India-Pakistan relations will be discussed. And the bilateral relations with the United State," he added.
Gen Musharraf pointed out: "I have always said that if we want improvement, we will have to remove the root causes (of terrorism). If you want harmony in the world, these root causes should be addressed and the United States has a primary role towards that goal." On democracy in Pakistan, he said it was functioning and assemblies would also complete their five-year terms.