PARIS (AP) — Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, facing questions about his country's role in Afghanistan, turned to France for support in talks Monday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that covered fighting terrorism and nuclear cooperation.
Zardari arrived in France on Sunday night, as his government was coming under criticism for its handling of deadly flooding in the northwest of the country. The worst floods in the country’s history have already killed up to 1,100 people and forced 2 million to flee their homes.
Speaking after his meeting with Sarkozy, Zardari said in brief remarks to reporters that "France feels that Pakistan is a responsible partner."
Zardari leaves Paris on Tuesday for talks in London with top British officials, amid a diplomatic spat over comments by Britain’s prime minister suggesting this South Asian nation exports terrorism.
Pakistan, which shares a porous land border with troubled Afghanistan, has long been considered a key player in the fight against terrorism, and a report in Le Figaro daily, a conservative daily considered close to the presidency, said France and Pakistan are working to hammer out the details of a deal on increased intelligence-sharing between the two nations.
However, the subject of intelligence-sharing was not broached, according to the presidential aide, not authorized to be named. Le Figaro reported that a deal was expected to be ready by October, in time for a Paris visit by the Pakistani prime minister, the report said.
France is one of the biggest contributors to the U.S.-led force in Afghanistan, and is sending 250 additional trainers, which will bring the overall number of French troops to 4,000.
Pakistan and its role in Afghanistan have been in the spotlight for more than a week, since Wikileaks, the self-described online whistle-blower, posted leaked U.S. military documents that revived questions about Pakistan’s willingness to sever its historical ties to the Taliban and deny Taliban fighters sanctuary along the border between the two nations.
Sarkozy "encouraged Pakistan to continue its efforts against terrorism," the aide said without elaborating.
The thorny nuclear issue was also expected to be on the agenda at Sarkozy and Zardari’s meeting. France is a major exporter of civil nuclear technology and has struck recent deals with such countries as Libya and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan suffers from chronic power shortages and is eager to develop its nuclear energy sector, but has refused to sign nonproliferation accords and faces a nuclear trade ban.
Pakistani Embassy officials say Zardari will also meet with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and visit an exhibition of Pakistani art at Paris’ Guimet Museum, accompanied by Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand.
