News
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Pak-US strategic dialogue will yield concrete results: Gilani
* PM tells US ambassador his country will adopt pragmatic, realistic approach at talks scheduled for next week
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday hoped that the round of Pak-US strategic dialogue scheduled for next week in Washington would successfully achieve concrete results and tangible goals, as envisaged by both sides.
At a meeting with US Ambassador Anne Patterson at Prime Minister’s House, Gilani identified power generation, water conservation, education, capacity building of Pakistan’s law-enforcement agencies and efforts to expedite the provision of economic assistance under the Kerry-Lugar law and the Coalition Support Fund as areas in which progress could be made at the upcoming round of talks. The prime minister said Pakistan would adopt a realistic and pragmatic approach at the talks. He said Pakistan wanted to convene the fifth round of strategic dialogue in Islamabad “as soon as possible” to make progress in negotiations and other areas of cooperation.
Gilani said he was looking forward to his meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in April.
The American ambassador told the prime minister that the US had not had this level of strategic dialogue with any other country, and her country was, therefore, making every possible effort to make it a success. At a separate meeting with UK High Commissioner in Islamabad Adam Thomson, Gilani highlighted the importance his government attached to the Pak-UK strategic dialogue.
Gilani said Pakistan had taken up the challenge to eliminate terrorism and extremism in the larger interest of international peace and security. He said it was, therefore, the international community’s responsibility to help Pakistan with the capacity building of security forces and reconstruction in areas cleared of militants.
Gilani said cultural links between Pakistan and the UK could be promoted if Allama Iqbal’s nameplate was put up at the Shakespeare’s birthplace. He also mentioned the problems being faced by Pakistanis n acquiring UK visas. The British high commissioner said relations between the UK and Pakistan extended beyond cooperation in the war on terror. He said cooperation in social sectors, especially education, would be improved further through the taskforce established for the purpose. The British envoy also told the prime minister that about the EU’s plan to prepare a five-year roadmap for improved cooperation with Pakistan.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk