News
Saturday, August 13, 2011
US vows to improve Pak anti-terror relationship* State Dept spokesperson speaks of visits by US officials to Pakistan in wake of killing of Osama to repair fractured ties
WASHINGTON: The United States will continue to work for improvement in counter-terror cooperation and bilateral relationship with Pakistan, the State Department said on Friday.
“We continue to cooperate with Pakistan in counter terrorism and try to work together as closely as we can,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
She was asked to assess the level of US-Pakistan counter terrorism cooperation since May 2 unilateral American raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad, which took out the al Qaeda chief but gave rise to doubts in Pakistan about the nature of relationship between the two countries.
The spokesperson cited post-May 2 visits by senior American officials to Islamabad, saying these were aimed at improving the relationship.
“You saw all the visits that we have had to improve this relationship and strengthen it, from the secretary and Admiral Mullen’s visits to all of the working groups that we’ve had,” Victoria said, adding, “So our efforts continue and we’re going to keep working at it.”
On security situation in Afghanistan - where recent violence has heightened sense of insecurity - Nuland noted the US and its allies were working to build Afghan forces so that they could assume responsibility for safety of people in their country.
“The United States maintains a large military footprint that works with our Afghan partners, our international partners,” she said, adding, “As we seek to draw that down heading towards 2014, we are also seeking to build Afghan capacity, both military and police, so that the security situation will enable strong development efforts and strong political and economic strengthening. That’s our goal.” app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk