Kasuri wraps up hectic five-day visit to US

Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri Sunday concluded a five-day hectic visit to the United States during which he held a series of meetings with senior American officials, Congressional leaders in Washington and interacted with the media and the Pakistani American community.
He held bilateral talks with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and reviewed progress on various tracks in Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation in the field of economic dialogue, energy, education, science and technology.
The foreign minister also met with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and discussed further strengthening Pakistan-US relations.
On the Capitol Hill, the foreign minister had meetings with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a number of prominent Senators, Congressmen and members of Congressional Pakistan Caucus. Besides bilateral relations, Kasuri discussed with his interlocutors counterterrorism cooperation, Afghanistan, regional issues including Iran, Iraq, the Middle East peace process and progress in the composite dialogue with India aimed at addressing all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
In his meetings, the foreign minister reviewed the recent developments in relations with Afghanistan and progress following the Ankara meeting between President Musharraf and President Karzai and the G-8 meeting between the foreign ministers of two countries.
The foreign minister had more than a dozen engagements with the mainstream American media including CNN, PBS, The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times during which he outlined Pakistan's policies and its position with regard to a variety of developments in the region including the country's commitment to composite dialogue with India for resolution of outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Overall, he had around 40 engagements during the five-day visit in which he also spoke at Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and addressed gatherings of Pakistani Americans in both cities.
The foreign minister was accompanied by Ambassador to the United States Mahmud Ali Durrani, Director General Foreign Minister's Office Khalid Mahmood and senior officials.