News
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Obama vows to deepen ties with Pakistan* US president says Pak-Afghan trade agreement to create economic opportunities on both sides of border
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged to deepen cooperation with Pakistan as part of efforts to bring peace to insurgency-hit Afghanistan, which he stressed would not be allowed to become a safe-haven for militants to launch attacks against America and its allies.
Obama, addressing a White House Conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, said, “We are going to deepen regional cooperation with Pakistan.”
He also hailed this week’s transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying the step will increase economic opportunity on both sides of the restive border.
“The Kabul conference and Pakistan-Afghanistan agreement on economic opportunities will help create conditions needed for progress towards Afghans taking responsibility of their country,” he said. He said the fight against al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates is “not an easy fight, but a necessary one.”
“An even wider insurgency in Afghanistan would mean an even larger safe haven for al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates to plan their next attack. We’re not going to let that happen.”
The US president called Tuesday’s Kabul conference as “historic, another major step-forward.” “The Afghan government presented its peace and reconciliation plan, which the United States firmly supports. An agreement was reached on a plan in which responsibility for security in Afghan provinces would transition to Afghan security forces,” he said.
“In addition, Afghanistan and Pakistan reached an historic agreement to increase economic opportunity for people on both sides of the border,” he noted. “These are all important achievements and they go a long way towards help create the conditions needed for Afghans to assume greater responsibility for their country.”
The United States will remain a long-term partner for the security and progress of the Afghan people, Obama said. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk