Pakistan leader in for Mideast

The military ruler of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has arrived in Syria at the start of a four-day visit to the Middle East.

He is accompanied by a delegation of ministers , including foreign, finance, commerce and science ministers, for talks which are expected to concentrate on expansion of trade cooperation.

The Middle East peace process and regional issues are also on the agenda for the talks, which will begin with a meeting with the Syrian leader, President Bashar al-Assad.

General Musharraf is also to meet King Abdullah of Jordan in Amman, and the Lebanese president, Emile Lahoud, in Beirut.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service