Musharraf to seek Palestine, Kashmir solutions on tour

He will meet with US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac on the second leg of his 12-day tour, the first part of which will see him visit Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

Musharraf's encounter with Bush, expected on December 4, is his first since the US leader's re-election.

"The main subject that I would like to discuss when I meet President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Chirac ... is (that) the resolution of political disputes must start," he said before leaving for Brasilia.

"I think both the Palestinian dispute and the Kashmir dispute are absolutely ripe for resolution and we have to resolve them.

"That will bring considerable stability into the world."

Musharraf said he advocated a strategy under which the Muslim world should encourage moderation while the West must focus on settling political disputes affecting Muslims.

Musharraf, an army general who grabbed power in a bloodless coup five years ago, has earned Western acclaim because of Pakistan's pivotal role in the fight against terrorism as a key ally of the United States.

Pakistan has deployed more than 70,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan and has captured some 600 Al-Qaeda figures including several key operatives, though the network's leader Osama bin Laden remains at large.

Musharraf last month publicly floated alternative ways to deal with the decades-old dispute over Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and its south Asian neighbour India.

Since Bush's re-election and the death of Yasser Arafat he has highlighted the Palestinian issue, saying last week that it must be a top priority for the US if terrorism is to be defeated.

Meanwhile, the three-nation visit to Latin America is the first by a Pakistani leader and Musharraf told reporters he would seek to boost commercial ties with the region.