President Clinton is meeting the Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, in Washington shortly 1745g for talks aimed at repairing the damage to relatons caused by the nuclear explosions carried out by Pakistan and India in May.

The White House said that besides the nuclear question, they would discuss other security issues and Pakistan's relationship with India, as well as ways in which the United States could help the Pakistani economy.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Clinton signed papers suspending until October next year many of the economic sanctions he imposed on India and Pakistan after their rival nuclear tests.

Mr Sharif welcomed the move and said he would press for greater American engagement over what he called the "root cause of tension" with India - the disputed region of Kashmir.