President Musharraf arrives for talks on improving relations

(4 Feb 2003) 1. Mid shot plane on runway 2. Wide shot plane on runway 3. Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf leaving plane 4. Wide shot plane 5. Musharraf walking along runway 6. Wide shot military band playing 7. Mid shot Musharraf with Russian delegate 8. Mid shot military guard 9. Mid shot Musharraf walking across tarmac 10. Various military guard 11. Musharraf walking away 12. Mid shot Russian and Pakistani flags STORYLINE: Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for three days of talks aimed at improving relations between the two countries. Ties between Russia and Pakistan have been strained by the Kremlin’s close ties with India and Moscow’s fears that Islamabad isn’t doing enough to fight against terrorism. Musharraf’s visit is the first by a Pakistani head of state in more than three decades and he is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Russia has long had close ties with India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed rival, while its relations with Islamabad have often been tense. Following the former Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan was a staging area for US-backed rebel fighters going into the country. While both are key supporters of the US-led war against terror, Putin indirectly criticised Pakistan last year, by chiding Washington for its double standards with allies that he said weren’t doing enough to block terrorists. But both countries have said they want to improve ties. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that Putin and Musharraf are expected to sign bilateral agreements dealing with economic and defence cooperation. The two leaders are also expected to discuss Pakistan’s relations with India, particularly ways to encourage dialogue, and the issue of Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan region over which Pakistan and India have fought two wars. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: