MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday that President Asif Ali Zardari would visit Afghanistan in the first week of January, 2009, hoping it will bring about a pleasant change in bilateral relationship between the two countries.

President Zardari was scheduled to visit the neighbouring country Friday last and all arrangements were finalized, however, it had to be postponed due to bad weather conditions, Foreign Minister said while talking to media persons at the local airport.

He said that as part of the preliminary proceedings for President’s last Friday visit to Afghanistan, he had met with his counterpart in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, and bilateral negotiations proceeded ahead positively and in a cordial manner.

However, a new date has been decided and the President will visit Afghanistan next month and we hope it will give us a breakthrough in improving ties with the neighbouring country and it would be a pleasant change after relationships suffered some tensions in past, Shah Mehmood added.