British prime minister David Cameron will call for a "fresh start" to his country's relationship with Pakistan during a visit today, months after he sparked a diplomatic incident by suggesting Pakistan promoted exporting of terrorism.
Mr Cameron arrived in Islamabad early today and was set to meet with Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and president Asif Ali Zardari, among other top officials.
Britain considers its relationship with Pakistan to be of critical importance, especially for national security reasons. Britain has a large population of Pakistani descent, and several terror plots aimed at the UK have been traced to extremists in that group. Along with the United States, Britain also has troops in Pakistan's neighbor, Afghanistan.
The British Embassy in Islamabad released extracts of a speech Mr Cameron is to give later in the day, in which he calls on both countries to "clear up the misunderstandings of the past, work through the tensions of the present and look together to the opportunities of the future."
The comments appeared, at least in part, aimed at easing tensions over Mr Cameron's remarks during his trip to India last year, when he said Pakistan must not be allowed to "promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world."
The statement outraged Pakistanis, not least because it was made in India, Pakistan's archrival and a fellow nuclear power.
"I acknowledge that there are challenges that our friendship must overcome. But I want to argue today that they shouldn't hold us back anymore," Mr Cameron is set to say during his speech in Islamabad.
"Whether it's relations with India, our security, or questions of governance, if we work closely with one another, if we're clear that we need each other to succeed, we can grasp these difficult issues and move beyond them to a better future. So let's make today a "fresh start" in our relationship."
According to the excerpts, Mr Cameron stresses ending the terror threat as a major issue, but also talks of trade and investment relations, and calls for a Pakistan that is "open, free and tolerant."
Reuters