Nawaz Sharif leaves for a 4-day-visit to US

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Saturday, left for a four-day visit to the US during which he is expected to discuss key bilateral issues, the drawdown in Afghanistan and Indo-Pak ties with President Barack Obama.

Outlining the agenda of his visit, Sharif said Pakistan lays great emphasis on its relations with the US.

"We will focus on enhancement of trade and investment with US. For Pakistan, economic sovereignty is the first step towards political sovereignty," he said in a statement before his departure.

"I will discuss regional security issues with US administration. Democracy is the strength of Pakistan and all institutions are with me to protect the honour and interest of the state and the citizens of Pakistan," he said.

Sharif will first travel to London and then proceed to Washington. This will be his first bilateral official visit to the US in his current term as premier.

It is also the first official visit by a Pakistani premier to the US in five years. Sharif visited New York last month for the UN General Assembly.

An earlier statement from the Foreign Office said Pakistan and the US share convergence on a wide range of issues, including peace and stability in South Asia and Middle East and extremism and terrorism.

Sharif's visit will provide an opportunity to highlight the government's priorities for economic development of Pakistan, to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance trade, and to share his vision for peace and stability in our region, the statement said.

The premier has said Pakistan will support the peace process in Afghanistan. The US is keen that Pakistan should play a sincere role ahead of its troop pullout from the war-stricken country.

Sharif has also publicly spoken of his desire for improving ties with India. In addition to holding talks with Obama, Sharif will meet Vice President John Biden and interact with members of Congress. Senior US officials will call on him.

Sharif will also attend a business event organised by US-Pakistan Business Council, address the United States Institute of Peace and interact with the Pakistani-American community.

Obama and Sharif had a telephone conversation in May, when the US President congratulated the PML-N chief on his victory in the general election and appreciated the smooth democratic transition in Pakistan.

The two leaders had agreed to work together to strengthen bilateral relations and advance their shared interest of a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan and the region.

Sharif this week chaired a meeting attended by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI head Lt Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam during which the visit to the US was discussed.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, James F Dobbins, too visited Islamabad for talks with senior Pakistani leaders on bilateral ties, regional security, Afghanistan and the agenda of Sharif's visit.