ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Monday asked the European Union (EU) to allow greater market access to its trade goods and supply weapons as well as impart training to its security forces to fight the menace of terror in an effective manner. The EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who reached Islamabad Monday morning on a two-day visit, called separately on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Solana also visited a camp for displaced people near Peshawar. During the talks with the EU representative, Pakistani leadership not only demanded greater market access to its goods in European markets but also asked for the supply of latest weapons to its forces along with training, as it would go a long way in eradicating the scourge of terror, said the officials privy to high-level consultations. Pakistani leaders also urged the EU member nations to fulfil their commitments and pledges made in Friends of Pakistan meeting in Tokyo in April where different states promised to extend cash support worth 5.28 billion dollars to Islamabad. Later, addressing the joint press briefing with EU representative, the Foreign Minister said, Pakistani economy has suffered losses of 35 billion dollars since joining the US-led war on terror in late 2001. The greater trade with European Union would contribute towards economic and political stability and poverty alleviation, which were important to win the war against terrorism, he said. The European Union is the largest trading partner of Pakistan with bilateral trade standing at $10 billion. Pakistan wants more market access on favourable terms, he said. He said that it was also agreed in Brussels during the recent visit of President Zardari to start talks on Free Trade Agreement (FTA). However, he said, no time frame could be given for finalisation of FTA as that would be a long drawn process. Giving details of his meeting with EU official, Foreign Minister Qureshi said they discussed how to institutionalise the bilateral cooperation and make the strategic dialogue result oriented. A number of areas have been identified to form part of the strategic dialogue between Pakistan and EU, he said. He said the two sides also exchanged views on capacity building of civilian institutions in Pakistan, as the country was expecting more humanitarian assistance and economic aid in the months ahead. He said that Solana was briefed about the successful military operation in Swat and phased strategy for the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The two sides also discussed poppy cultivation and illicit weapons in Afghanistan that were contributing to raise insurgency in Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said. Solana said, EU wants to upgrade its relations with Pakistan as the country is engaged in the war against terror that is not only in its own interests but also that of the world. He said the EU provided 50 million Euros for the IDPs and it would continue to support efforts for their rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected areas. To a question, the EU official said the war against terrorism could be won with determination and cooperation. Foreign Minister Qureshi said, A holistic approach is needed to win this war, which will go beyond military solution. When asked about the 'selective interest of the West in implementation of UN resolutions on different issues and indifference towards those on the core issue of Kashmir, Solana said the EU respected the UN resolutions on all issues and agrees that settlement of disputes such Kashmir and Palestine is a must for world stability and peace. Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani called upon the European Union to render immediate assistance to Pakistan in capacity building for its law enforcement agencies through imparting training and supply of much needed sophisticated weapon systems to enable Pakistan to eliminate militancy and terrorism from its soil. According to AFP, PM Gilani asked the EU for immediate weapons and training for security forces to help the insurgency-wracked nation to drive out the Taliban. He also asked the European Union countries to deliver on their pledges made during the FoDP Ministerial meeting in Tokyo. The Prime Minister was talking to Javier Solana, European Unions High Representative and Foreign Policy Chief who called on him at the PM House. The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the upgrading of Pakistan-EU dialogue towards a long-term strategic partnership at the summit level and hoped that the European Commission would support the second Pakistan-EU Summit likely to take place in Spain in the first half of 2010 during Spains EU Presidency. The Prime Minister emphasised that in order to address the root causes of terrorism, it was imperative to create economic opportunities in the militancy affected areas and added that the European Union should play its role by expediting the GSP Plus Review and supporting the discussions with Pakistan on a prospective FTA. The Prime Minister asked the European Union to create a new category in GSP Plus arrangement for those countries suffering from terrorism in order to separate Pakistans case from other countries aspiring for GSP Plus facilities. He sought the help of EU for organising FoDP Summit in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The Prime Minister informed Solana about the rehabilitation phase of dislocated persons. He also told the EU representative that his government was in the process of formulating a new education policy, which envisaged introduction of modern sciences and vocational training in the curricula for the seminaries in order to bring them in the mainstream of educational system of the country. Solana commended government of Pakistan and its Armed Forces for their roles in the war against terrorism and assured the Prime Minister that EU would continue assisting Pakistan in rehabilitation of dislocated persons as well as in the reconstruction of the infrastructure in Malakand and other affected areas. He termed Pakistans problems as problems of the EU and stated that a new mechanism would be developed by the EU to help Pakistan in capacity building of its law enforcement agencies as well as provide increased market access to Pakistani products in the EU. He expressed satisfaction over the successful meeting of the Prime Minister with his Indian counterpart in Sherm El Sheikh and hoped that the breakthrough would go a long way towards resumption of composite dialogue in the very near future. APP adds: Solana after visiting Jalozai Camp in Nowshera said the role of Pakistan, especially its government, people and armed forces in fight against terror was highly commendable and had no match in the worlds history. To meet the post-operation situation in Malakand Division, the European Union has provided 150 million Euros for relief of the displaced persons and would continue its support in future as well. Talking to newsmen after visiting IDPs camp, which he visited along with three other ambassadors of EU, the visiting European Union official said the world community wanted honourable and dignified return of displaced persons of Malakand division to their homes. During his detailed visit of the camp he also met the displaced persons and enquired about their health and the facilities available to them at the camp. Solana said EU and the world siding with Pakistan in these difficult times when the country was confronting the challenge of militancy. He said that he would brief the EU in depth about his observations and what he saw at the camp. I dont find the word to pay gratitude to the Pakistani Armed Forces for its role in war against terror, he told the media persons. To a question, Solana said he would seek more funds for the IDPs at the coming donors meeting to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, convened by Friends of Democratic Pakistan. The European Union, UNO and Islamic countries should rise to the occasion and help out Pakistan in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the IDPs. Online adds: Javier Solana, High Representative for the European Union (EU) Foreign Policy alongwith Jan De Kok, Ambassador/Head of Delegation and Boguslaw Marcian Majewski, Head of Task Force called on President Asif Ali Zardari here in the Presidency on Monday. The meeting was also attended by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister for Commerce, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Salman Farooqui, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Salman Bashir, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Syed Kamal Shah, Secretary Interior, Suleman Ghani, Secretary Commerce and Farrukh Qayyum, Secretary EAD. Talking to Solana, the President mentioned the stupendous challenge of rehabilitating the nearly two million people displaced due to fight against militancy, and the phase has now shifted from the relief phase to the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. 'It is a huge effort and requires a huge capital outlay, which is beyond the resources of Pakistan, he added. Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying:international community must step forward and prepare a Marshall plan for Pakistan. He said that govt would fulfil its responsibility towards the people and do what ever it takes to do, however, international assistance is needed in view of enormity of the task and to expedite the process of rehabilitation. Babar said that the President also emphasised upon the need for building Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) for the industrial and economic development of the affected areas and to provide employment to the affected people. The President said that the next meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan will be held in the coming weeks and that Pakistan looked forward to the continued International communitys support as strategic partners of Pakistan for its economic development, elaborating that a credible and transparent mechanism had already been devised for assistance to the poor and needy under the Benazir Income Support Programme, which has also been lauded by international financial institutions for its transparency. Zardari said that that the EU may consider sending a team to Pakistan to discuss the prospects of using this mechanism for disbursement of assistance to the affectees in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. Solana appreciated the efforts made for the relief and rehabilitation of displaced persons and the fact that the displaced persons had started returning to their homes.