Musharraf to attend Olympic ceremony

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing next month and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing next month and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

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Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony on August 8 at the invitation of the Chinese government and also have an opportunity to meet other world leaders in Beijing, ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said.

"He will also be meeting with the Chinese leadership including President Hu Jintao," Sadiq told a weekly news briefing.

"The participation of the president of Pakistan in this mega-event and his interaction with Chinese leaders will provide further impetus to our close and traditional ties with China," he said.

Pakistan is sending a 35-member contingent to the Olympics to participate in the field hockey, athletics, shooting and swimming events.