News
Sunday, July 25, 2010
India should tackle issues with Pakistan through talks: US* State Dept says Washington wants both countries to work together to combat terrorism in region
* Pakistan must implement UN curbs against key Taliban leadersWASHINGTON: The United States has asked India to remain engaged in talks with Pakistan aimed at addressing contentious issues that have bedeviled relations between the two South Asian neighbours.
“We understand that there are difficult issues that will over time be a subject of that ongoing dialogue. But we can certainly continue, as we always have, to encourage India to sit down, talk at high levels, engage in the issues that have created tensions between the two countries in the past,” State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said at the daily briefing.
He described the two regional powers as “friends and allies of the United States”, adding that “it is in our interest to see the kind of substantive exchanges and dialogue that is occurring at a high level between the two countries now on a regular basis”.
Combat: “That is very encouraging,” he remarked. Crowley said Washington wants both Islamabad and New Delhi to work together to combat terrorism in the region. “We certainly want to see both India and Pakistan cooperate together along with other countries in the region “to combat terrorism, which is a threat to all of us. But ultimately, how this proceeds, at what pace – these are decisions to be made respectively by Pakistan and India”. The spokesman also reaffirmed the Obama administration’s promise to stay engaged with the region, even after military draw-down from Afghanistan.
“The fact is we’re not leaving Afghanistan or the region at the end of next year,” he clarified in response to a question. “Our commitment to regional security is a significant one. We are going to be engaged with countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India for a long time, because it is in our interest to do so,” he said.
Elaborating the US Afghan policy, Crowley said, “We have, as per the president’s (Obama) decision, increased our military capabilities and force levels in Afghanistan.” The timeline that President Obama outlined back in December is well known, he said, referring to the July 2011 as start of transfer of some troops from Afghanistan. But Crowley said before that stage, there would be various reviews coming up at the end of the year, both in terms of how NATO evaluates what’s happening in Afghanistan, the internal US review at the end of this year.
Sanctions: Crowley said the United States expected Pakistan to implement the US-imposed sanctions against key leaders and financiers of Afghanistan’s Taliban, saying those individuals had also been put on United Nations blacklist.
“Pakistan, as a UN member, must implement this international action,” he said to a question about what was expected of Pakistan following the US Treasury Department’s move to place the Haqqani network among the groups promoting terrorism. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk