News
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Pak, US should work to come on ‘same page’: foreign secretary
ISLAMABAD: The global landscape is in a state of flux and it is necessary for Pakistan and the US to work closely together as to be on the same page on issues of mutual concern and interest, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said on Saturday.
He was talking to a seven-member US Senate delegation, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, which met him at the Foreign Office.
Members of the delegation included Senators Richard Burr, Lindsey Graham, Ron Johnson, Kelly Ayotte, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio. US Ambassador Cameron Munter also attended
the meeting.This was the first US Senate delegation to visit Pakistan after the US congressional elections in November last year.
The foreign secretary briefed the US delegation about joint Pakistan and US’s efforts to enhance mutual relationship. He also exchanged views on counter-terrorism and the regional situation. Bashir said relations between Pakistan and the US had greatly improved over the last two years and now there was much more clarity about the bilateral trajectory.
The Strategic Dialogue has been upgraded to the ministerial level and was aimed at laying solid foundations for a long-term partnership, he said.
He said Pakistan, which had suffered immensely from the long war in Afghanistan, needed sustained support by its friends especially the US to address multiple challenges.
In this regard, he urged the US delegates to help expedite the disbursement of economic assistance under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Legislation, reimbursement under the Coalition Support Fund, Reconstruction Opportunity Zone legislation and implementation of the Enterprise Fund for Pakistan.
Briefing the delegation about the country’s current challenges, Bashir said Pakistan was a nation with great potential. “The fact that 2.5 million people, who were displaced as a result of law enforcement operations in Swat and Malakand, have returned to their native lands within three months, speaks volumes of the country’s resilience,” he said.
He added that Pakistan was potentially a rich country and by encouraging public-private partnerships in key projects, the two countries could create a “win-win situation”.
Bashir said that the recent floods in the country had wrecked havoc, causing unprecedented damage to infrastructure and affecting close to 20 million people. “Nevertheless, the people have been trying to overcome destruction with dignity, creating new opportunities for development and progress,” he added. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk