EU warns against talks with Al-Qaeda elements
By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD—European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana Tuesday supported the decision by government to hold talks with Taliban militants, but ruled out any negotiations with Al-Qaeda. In a joint press stake-out with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here at the Foreign Office, Solana supported government’s recent bid to hold dialogue with the militants.
“It is up to the country to give benefit to those who want to contribute to the well-being of the country by participating in a dialogue which is under the umbrella of the Constitution of the country,” Solana said. To a question whether he supported the idea of Pakistan negotiating with al-Qaeda, Solana said “the answer is no.” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi “the government would want to give dialogue and reconciliation its utmost full chance.”
To a question, Qureshi described the release of leader of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi Sufi Muhammad as “a good confidence-building measure” and added that “the present government has decided to engage politically. He termed it as a positive development and said the government had “other options” if it felt that the other side tried to exploit the arrangement.
He said “the government would want to give dialogue and reconciliation its utmost, a full chance. But on the other hand if we feel that spirit behind this initiative is not being met well, other options are always there.” Foreign Minister Qureshi also rejected any linkage between Sufi Muhammad’s release with efforts to seek release of Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizzuddin, who is in the custody of some militant groups. The Foreign Minister said “the initiative has been taken to support reconciliatory environment and support the process of dialogue that we intend to initiate.”
PM Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with the EU and desires to further increase cooperation in all the fields. While talking to Mr. Javier Solana High Representative of the EU who called on him at the PM secretariat here on Tuesday, the PM said that there is great scope to raise the existing level of trade and commercial ties between Pakistan and EU and called for extending the economic facilities to Pakistan as being given to other countries.
The PM appreciated the role of EU observers during the general election in Pakistan and their valuable observations made in their report encourages investors from EU to invest in Pakistan as democracy ensures transparency and level playing field.
PM cited law and order coupled with economic difficulties as being the main challenges inherited by the new government, whose focus was to create economic opportunities and to promote industrial and agricultural output, while energy shortage was the main hurdle in this context, for which extensive plans and programs are being prepared.
Mr. Javier Solana while congratulating the PM on his election said that the presence and meetings with the leadership was a manifestation of EU support for the democratic government in Pakistan and his visit was aimed at establishing contacts and to further strengthen the relations. He added that EU would extend every possible assistance and cooperation to help Pakistan improve its economy and meet the challenges.