Zardari to visit Saudi Arabia next week

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will be visiting Saudi Arabia next week to seek economic assistance from its ally including help with oil payments. Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia to defer payments for its crude oil imports, which are expected to be worth about $5.9 billion during this 2008/09 fiscal year. The friends group was set up last month on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York by countries that want to help Pakistan.