Pakistani prime minister to visit Cairo, Swiss agreement a first

Contacts are underway between Cairo and Islamabad to specify a time for the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif to Egypt to launch talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on enhancing the bilateral relations, recent developments in the Iraqi crisis and the Middle East peace process, and several issues of joint interest, including disputes between Islamabad and India over Kashmir.

Egypt announced its readiness to mediate between Indian and Pakistan to find a peaceful settlement to the dispute, but that prior agreement of the two countries to this initiative should take place.

Meanwhile, a Swiss official will visit Cairo at the beginning of April to sign an agreement with Egypt for legal cooperation, including the extradition of criminals. This is the first agreement of its kind between Egypt and a European country, as well as between Switzerland and an Arab state.