German Defence Minister Franz-Josef Jung arrived in Islamabad late Wednesday for talks on a range of issues including regional security and the post-earthquake situation in Pakistan, DPA reported. It was Jung's first official trip overseas after installation of new government in Berlin, a German embassy spokesman said. He was also scheduled to travel to Afghanistan Thursday on a day- long visit to meet the Afghan leadership as well as 3,000 German troops presently performing security duties under the aegis of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). He is the first high-ranking German official to visit Pakistan after the October 8 earthquake that killed over 73,000 people and rendered more than 3.5 million homeless. Jung will hold formal talks with his Pakistani counterpart Rao Sikandar Iqbal on ways to boost cooperation in the area of defence, military education and training as well as the post-quake situation. Germany contributed 100 million dollars at the last November's international donors conference, which pledged over 6 billion dollars for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the regions in Pakistan- administered Kashmir region and the North-Western Frontier Province.
