Pakistan President Musharraf visits Philippines

(19 Apr 2005) SHOTLIST
APTN
1. Arrival honours ceremony
2. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (right) and Pakistani leader General Pervez Musharraf standing
3. Honour guard, raising of flags
4. Arroyo and Musharraf parade pass and review
5. Musharraf salutes flag
6. Profile of honour guard
7. Musharraf salutes to honour guard
8. Musharraf shaking hands with honour guard
9. Various of Musharraf being introduced to government officials
Agency Pool
10. Musharraf and Arroyo enter room
11. Musharraf and Arroyo sit down
12. Musharraf
13. Arroyo
14. Musharraf and Arroyo shaking hands
APTN
15. Photo-op of bilateral expanded meeting
16. Musharraf and delegates seated at conference table
17. Arroyo and delegates seated at conference table
18. Musharraf listening
19. Pan of meeting
STORYLINE
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Pakistani leader General Pervez Musharraf met on Tuesday to discuss cooperating in the fight against Islamic militants and ways to bolster peace talks with Filipino Muslim rebels.
Musharraf said an anti-terrorism accord was among the agreements expected to be signed by the two countries, along with expansion in trade, cultural and political ties.
Both countries are key allies in the US-led war on terror and forged diplomatic ties in 1949.
Arroyo laid out a red carpet and full military honours for Musharraf at the presidential palace, where dozens of well-wishers waved flags of the two countries.
During closed-door talks, Arroyo was expected to brief Musharraf on Malaysian-brokered peace talks between her government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been waging a decades-old separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines.
Musharraf was also scheduled to address a joint session of Philippine Congress later on Tuesday and attend a state banquet hosted by Arroyo, whose father, late President Diosdado Macapagal, was the first Philippine head of state to visit Pakistan in 1962.
Arroyo was also expected to seek Musharraf's support for a Philippine bid to gain observer status in the powerful Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Pakistan is a key member of the OIC, which has played a major role in brokering peace talks and a two-year cease-fire, which has halted deadly clashes in the southern Philippines.
Muslim guerrillas have also appealed to Musharraf to send a Pakistani contingent to join Malaysian-led truce monitors.
Security officials said the two leaders will discuss ways to bolster intelligence sharing and jointly fight extremists threats.
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