Pakistani Foreign Secretary Khokhar To Come To Turkey

ANKARA - Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar will come to Turkey next week.
Diplomatic sources said on Tuesday that Khokhar will visit Ankara within the scope of regular visits at the level of undersecretaries which were planned during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's the latest visit to Islamabad.
Iraq issue is also expected to be brought onto the agenda during Khokhar's meetings in Ankara.
The U.S. administration also asked for about 10,000 soldiers from Pakistan for assistance to efforts for settlement of security and stability in Iraq after war.
Islamabad which accepted sending soldiers to Iraq in principle, but which also wanted the issue to take place within the scope of a comprehensive international effort, thinks that Iraqi people's support is also very important.
Pakistani administration which announced that the issue was still at the level of evaluation said that the government would take a final decision on sending soldiers to Iraq by also taking into consideration of sensitivity of people.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf made a statement last month saying that they accepted sending soldiers to Iraq as principle, but they preferred it should take place under the supervision of international institutions including the United Nations and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Radical religious groups are opposing close relations between Musharraf and the United States and sending soldiers to Iraq.
(EÖ-AÖ) 12.08.2003