News
Friday, August 02, 2013
Pakistan, US announce to establish ‘full partnership’* Agree to resume Strategic Dialogue stalled since Oct 2010
* Kerry invites PM for talks with Obama
* Nawaz emphasises desire to get access to US markets
ISLAMABAD: The United States and Pakistan agreed on Thursday to re-establish a “full partnership”, hoping to end years of acrimony over US drone strikes on Pakistani soil, the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and other grievances.
“We are here to speak honestly with each other, openly about any gaps that may exist that we want to try to bridge,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said during an unannounced visit to Islamabad. “Our people deserve that we talk directly.” Speaking after talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad, Kerry said the two countries were serious about overcoming past irritants. He invited Nawaz to visit the United States for talks with US President Barack Obama. “America does not want to have a transactional relationship, we do no want to have a relationship based on one moment or based on issues such as counter-terrorism or Afghanistan,” Kerry said.
“What was important today was that there was a determination...to move this relationship to the full partnership that it ought to be, and to find the ways to deal with individual issues that have been irritants over the course of the past years.” He added: “And I believe that the prime minister is serious about doing that. And I know that President Obama is also.” Kerry, who arrived in Pakistan late on Wednesday, is the most senior US official to visit Islamabad after Nawaz’s election in May. Yet, continued US drone strikes against militants in Pakistan’s northwest remain a big hurdle.
Pakistan has seen a spate of attacks against the military and civilians by the Pakistani wing of the Taliban since Nawaz was sworn in on the back of promises to talk to the insurgents rather than fight them. Speaking alongside Kerry, Sartaj Aziz, prime minsiter’s adviser on foreign affairs, said his government might resort to the use of military force after all against the Taliban. “Obviously dialogue has to go along with military action,” he said, adding at the same time that Pakistan wanted the United States to end the drone strikes.
“We will explore that (talk) option first and if that doesn’t work we will see under what conditions and by what time frame we do the alternative.” As for Afghanistan, Aziz and Kerry both expressed hopes to revive deadlocked talks with the Afghan Taliban as part of broader efforts to stabilise the nation as US-led forces prepare to pull out most combat troops by late 2014.
Both the sides announced resumption of their strategic dialogue stalled since October 2010 to further deepen their partnership in various fields. This was announced by Sartaj Aziz and Kerry while addressing a joint news conference after a series of meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz and other Pakistani leadership. Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan wants to enhance trade and investment relations with the United States besides seeking its cooperation in promotion of education. He hoped that the resumption of strategic dialogue would lead to expansion of cooperation in various fields.
He said Pakistan wants greater market access to the United States with a focus to increase trade volume up to $11 billion. He said Pakistan wants more US direct foreign investment to revive its economy. He said Pakistan is working to maintain good relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will fully assist foreign forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan next year besides supporting Afghan-led reconciliation process to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk