March 22, 2016
News
US welcome bilateral efforts by Pakistan, India for resolving issues
APPWASHINGTON - The United States welcomes efforts by Pakistan and India to reduce tension and resolve outstanding issues between them, a US State Department spokesman said on Monday.
Replying to a question at a briefing about the tension between Pakistan and India and presence of their leadership in Washington to attend a nuclear summit later this month, spokesman John Kirby stated that the US welcomes efforts that have been taken and efforts that may be taken in the future to work out those issues bilaterally.
He said the US government was looking forward to having Pakistan represented at the Nuclear Summit and to being able to continue to have meaningful dialogue about issues of nuclear security.
The United States has said in the past that it was confident that
Pakistan was well aware of its responsibilities and was providing the necessary security for its nuclear weapons.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the Nuclear Security Summit being held in Washington on March 31- April 1, at the invitation of US President Barack Obama.
The conference is last of the series of such summits as part of an international effort to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, break up black markets and detect and intercept illicitly trafficked materials.
The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington in 2010, followed by additional summits in Seoul in 2012 and The Hague in 2014. Prime Minister Sharif had attended the meeting in The Hague.
These summits have achieved tangible improvements in the security of nuclear materials and stronger international institutions that support nuclear security.
There were no other details available about the summit, but a statement
posted on the White House website in August said that the 2016 summit will continue discussion on the evolving threat and highlight steps that can be taken together to minimize the use of highly-enriched uranium, secure vulnerable material, counter nuclear smuggling and deter detect and disrupt attempts at nuclear terrorism.
The planned outcome of the Summit include a communique highlighting progress made and work still to be done to prevent nuclear terrorism. Leaders will also endorse plans to strengthen the enduring international institutions and initiatives that support nuclear security to enable them to carry forward and build upon the legacy of the Summits.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk