Gilani 'will meet Obama' at Seoul summit

Gilani to meet Obama on March 27 on the sidelines of nuclear security summit in South Korea.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani expects to meet US President Barack Obama during a nuclear security summit in South Korea next week, a Pakistani official said Friday.

The White House in a press release confirmed the meeting. This would be the most senior face-to-face meeting between Pakistan and the United States since American forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last May.

"The prime minister will meet President Obama on March 27 on the sidelines of the international conference in Seoul," a senior Pakistani official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They will discuss bilateral relations and progress in the war on terror," the official added.

In a press release, the White House Press Secretary said that the meeting will be an opportunity for both countries "to continue high-level consultations on areas of mutual interest."

The press release further stated that President Obama "looks forward to reviewing our efforts to support an Afghan-led reconciliation process, and to pursue an end-state in the region that advances security and prosperity."

Prime Minister Gilani along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar are due to attend the Second Nuclear Security Summit being held in Seoul between March 26-27. The First Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington in April 2010.

The Seoul Summit is a follow-up to the Washington Summit.

Leaders from 53 countries and heads of four international organisations are expected to attend the meeting.

Pakistan-US relations hit an all-time low after that covert raid, which Washington said was carried out without Islamabad's knowledge, and subsequent US air strikes killing 24 Pakistani soldiers last November.

But on Monday, Pakistani lawmakers are to start debating new parameters for getting the troubled relationship back on track, expected to see Pakistan eventually reopen its Afghan border to NATO convoys after a four-month closure.