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Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Zardari arrives in Qatar on two-day official visitDOHA: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday arrived in Qatar’s capital on a two-day official visit during which he will hold talks with the leadership of the Gulf state in a bid to strengthen ties in multiple areas, especially energy. The president was received by Qatar’s Minister for Justice Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim at the Doha International Airport. Members of his entourage include Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Adviser to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain. President Zardari is paying his first official visit to Qatar on the invitation of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The visit is taking place in the backdrop of a meeting held between the president and the emir on the sidelines of 4th Extraordinary Summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Makkah on August 15. The president is expected to discuss with the Qatari leadership the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and finalisation of trans-national formalities to import LNG at the earliest. “President Zardari’s visit to Qatar is important as the leadership will focus their discussion mainly on energy which is significant for the future needs of the energy-starved Pakistan,” Ambassador Sarfraz Ahmad Khanzada told APP. The ambassador said the talks on energy would make headway as a memorandum of understanding and a confidentiality pact have already been signed between the two countries. The pact has been signed between the Qatar Gas with Sui Southern Gas Company Limited and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, for the supply of up to 3.5 mtpa (million tonnes per annum) LNG. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk