News
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Pakistan, US pledge to boost security, defence cooperationWASHINGTON: The US and Pakistan expressed their commitment to a continued defence relationship during the 20th two-day meeting of the US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group, which concluded on Tuesday.
“Both delegations concluded that the accomplishments of the Exchanges on Defence Planning (EDP) process and the announcement of a US multi-year security assistance commitment to Pakistan were significant milestones over the past year.”
“They stressed the significance of continuing these important efforts towards identifying and meeting Pakistan’s resource requirements,” a joint statement released at the end of the meeting said. The delegations were respectively led by Pakistan Secretary of Defence Lieutenant General (r) Syed Athar Ali, and the US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Mich’ele Flournoy.
“Both delegations acknowledged that the recent counterterrorism operation resulting in the death of al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden underscores the importance of cooperation in our efforts to defeat terrorism,” the statement said.
“Both sides affirmed their mutual commitment to their strong defence relations, which they stressed should continue to serve as the foundation of the broader strategic partnership,” the message read. The DCG is the primary forum for exchanging views and coordinating defense policy discussions, with the goal of strengthening the defense relationship. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk