Islamabad: The US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca on December 16 held talks with senior Pakistani officials addressing a host of regional and bilateral issues.

Rocca, who arrived in Islamabad on December 15 night, met Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokkar to discuss regional and security issues, a ministry source said on December 16.

During her three-day stay, Rocca is to hold talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Foreign Minister Khursid Mahmud Kasuri and other senior officials.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained there was no "pre-fixed agenda" conveyed to them.

Though Rocca visited Pakistan about five times this year, this is her first visit after the October 10 general elections, which resulted in the installation of the Jamali government.

"Rocca's visit is basically aimed at touching base with members of the new government in Islamabad and she is unlikely to carry any special message for Pakistan," local daily 'Dawn' quoted officials as saying.

A visit to the Ministry of Interior is also on her agenda.

Rocca is the second high-ranking official of the Bush administration to visit Pakistan after Mir Zafaruallah Khan Jamali took over as Prime Minister, and the first from the State Department. Stephen Hadley, the Deputy National Security Advisor, was the first to visit Islamabad earlier this month.

PTI