Americas

Americas

NATO invites Pakistani president to Chicago summit

15 May 2012 17:28 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen telephoned Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday afternoon and invited the President to the NATO summit to be held in Chicago on May 20-21, Presidential spokesman said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Spokesman to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the invitation by NATO Secretary General for the NATO summit was unconditional and not linked to the opening of ground lines of communication for NATO or to any other issue.

The President told the NATO Secretary General that he would consider the invitation in the light of the guidelines of the Parliament and the advice of the government, he said.

The President said that a decision on the invitation will be communicated to NATO later.

The NATO Secretary General suggested on Friday that Pakistan could miss out on important talks on the future of Afghanistan if it fails to reopen the supply routes in time to secure a place at the NATO summit.

Pakistan had closed the supply lines to NATO forces in Afghanistan after 24 of its soldiers were killed in a NATO cross- border air attack last November.

Senior military and civilian leaders are scheduled to meet later Tuesday to take a decision on reopening of the supply routes.

Sources said the authorities have alerted the truck drivers to be ready for transportation of supplies in the wake of a possible decision.

Hundreds of containers have moved to the port city of Karachi for bringing oil and other items.