President in Myanmar: Zardari to meet Aung San Suu Kyi

The visit comes with the president under enormous pressure from courts, military.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday for two days of talks and a meeting with veteran democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The visit comes with President Zardari under enormous pressure from the courts trying to re-open corruption cases against him in Switzerland and from the military following an investigation into allegations that his government sought US help to curb the military.

Suu Kyi is playing an increasingly important role in Myanmar since her release from house arrest just days after elections in 2010 following half a century of military domination. President Zardari’s own relations with the military are increasingly tense over allegations that a secret memo was written at his behest last May in a bid to prevent a feared military coup.

Meeting with the president

President Zardari met with his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein on Tuesday and called for stronger trade ties between the two countries, his office in Islamabad said in a statement.

President Zardari also emphasised the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Commission mandated to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries as well as cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

He also offered to send the minister for petroleum and natural resources to Myanmar for exploring prospects of meaningful cooperation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2012.