Thursday, June 17, 2010

Long-term Pak-US cooperation vital for peace: Gilani

* PM says war against terror has imposed heavy burden on Pak economy
* Calls for strengthening strategic dialogue mechanism

ISLAMABAD: Long-term cooperation and interactions between the US and Pakistan are vital to ensure the peace and security in the region and beyond, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday.

Talking to Special Assistant to the US President David Lipton at the PM House, Gilani said that it was essential to create linkages that last beyond the ten-year period of the Kerry-Lugar assistance programme.

David Lipton is also member of the US National Economic Council and senior director of the US National Security Council at the White House.

The PM said that strengthening the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue mechanism was extremely important for enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The PM expressed the confidence that the US official’s visit to Islamabad for participating in the fifth Strategic Dialogue would bring about positive results.

Referring to the state of Pakistan’s economy, the PM said that the war on terror and the resulting law and order situation had taken a heavy toll on the economy. The development budget had to be cut down to meet the security needs and ensure safety of citizens, he said.

Gilani said that Pakistan was committed to economic reforms to bring about economic stability. The government even had to take some unpopular decisions in accordance with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, but remains determined to improve the economic system, he said. He said that state enterprises were being restructured to convert them into viable entities, and reduce economic pressures on development initiatives.

The prime minister also emphasised that Pakistan needed US support for market access for Pakistani products in international markets. “Pakistan believes in achieving economic sustenance through increased trade rather than assistance,” he said.

Gilani said that he was looking forward to the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan in July. It would make a positive impact and generate positive messages for our bilateral relations, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, David Lipton said that the US government was pleased with the progress made in the strategic dialogue process and considered it a fruitful exercise to strengthen relations between the two countries. He said the economy of Pakistan had stabilised and expressed the hope that the economic reforms would further bring about improvement.

Referring to the funds for the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones, the US official said that the issue was being taken up with the US Congress and US Senate.

He expressed confidence that his interactions with Pakistani officials would increase the understanding between the two countries.

Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar also attended the meeting. app

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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