Washington:
A trilateral summit between US President Barack Obama and his Pakistan and Afghanistan counterparts will get underway in Washington on Wednesday with the spotlight firmly on controlling rising Taliban activities in the Afghan-Pak border.
The crucial meeting comes as Obama is pledging more troops to war-torn Afghanistan and more resources, including military aid, to the region to eliminate what he has called an international threat.
The summit assumes significance in the backdrop of Pakistan Army launching a military operation against Taliban in three districts of Dir, SWAT and Buner in the restive NWFP close to the border with Afghanistan after US officials raised alarm to the extremists coming nearer to Islamabad.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai will arrive on Tuesday to take part in the summit, first under the Obama Administration, to be held on May 6 and 7.
Both Zardari and Karzai are leading a high-power delegation from their respective countries. However, Pak Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will not accompany the President in view of the "alarming security situation" in the country.
On Wednesday, Obama would be meeting Karzai and Zardari separately following which the US President would head towards the trilateral meeting with both the leaders.