President Bush meets Tuesday with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. They will meet in private on the wooded grounds of Camp David.
White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer says the war on terrorism will top the agenda, adding President Musharraf has been a strong leader in that effort. He says the talks will also focus on bilateral matters, such as trade. Efforts to ease long-standing tensions between Pakistan and neighboring India will also be discussed.
Secretary of State Colin Powell will be at Camp David for the talks, but President Bush is known to prefer one-on-one discussions with the foreign leaders he invites to the mountain retreat.
It is a secluded spot, and offers an opportunity for leaders to meet out of the public spotlight and share their thoughts informally in a casual setting.
Few foreign leaders get invited to the retreat in the mountains of Maryland, which is just a short ride by helicopter from the White House. It is an honor reserved largely for close allies, and those involved in joint efforts with the United States.