Fight against Terror: Greece, Pakistan Pledge to Share Info
By Francis Deron 'Pakistan Times' Foreign Correspondent

ATHENS (Greece): Greece and Pakistan have pledged to exchange information on fighting terror, the two countries' prime ministers said on Monday during the signing of a tourism cooperation agreement in Athens.

"Terrorism is a scourge we must fight in every form," Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters.

"Greece and Pakistan have similar views on that and we have agreed to share our knowledge on this issue," he said.

Aziz heads a delegation to Athens including members of his cabinet, senior officials and businessmen scheduled to meet with Greek ministers, shipowners and commerce board members during a two-day visit.

On Monday, Greece and Pakistan signed an agreement to cooperate on tourism, and also discussed the prospect of Greek agricultural assistance, particularly in the olive oil sector, Aziz said.

"The key decision we have taken is to re-energise our joint economic commission to promote trade and investment," the Pakistani PM said. "Trade and investment has a lot of room to grow."

Aziz and Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis did not take questions, and Karamanlis declined to answer a reporter's query on an ongoing investigation into the alleged abduction and interrogation of a number of Pakistani immigrants in Athens following the July 2005 London attacks.

"We have a Pakistani community living here, contributing to Greece's progress, and we are very pleased that the Greek government and people have provided them a home," Aziz said on Monday.●