News
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Pakistan, US call for defined partnership
* Grossman says relationship with Pakistan should be enduring and strategic
* Zardari says both countries need to discuss alternatives on question of drone attacks
ISLAMABAD: US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman said on Saturday the US believed that its relationship with Pakistan should be enduring, strategic, and clearly defined.
Talking to President Asif Zardari, the envoy said US and Pakistan should work together to identify shared interests and act on them jointly for the benefit of both nations and the region. Grossman also addressed the anti-Islam film and said, “This video is disgusting and reprehensible. It appears to have a deeply cynical purpose: to denigrate a great religion and to provoke rage.”
Separately, Grossman also called on President Asif Zardari at the Presidency.
While briefing about the meeting, the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that Pak-US bilateral situation, fight against militancy, regional situation, drug trafficking and drone attacks came under discussion.
The president said that it was important for the two countries to work for greater engagements in all fields and to revive mutual confidence to move forward in pursuit of mutual interests and in the interest for peace and stability. The president expressed the hope that the foreign minister’s forthcoming visit to Washington would help jumpstarting the bilateral strategic dialogue.
On terrorism, President Zardari said Pakistan has been extending full support to the international fight against terrorism and would continue to do it in the future as well.
President Zardari also expressed grave concern and condemned the anti-Islam film. He stressed the need for collective action to stop inflaming religious sentiments of any community or people of any faith.
Separately, the envoy also called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. The premier said the country regarded its relations with the United States as “very important” and that Pakistan valued it as a major development partner.
Raja’s remarks came after he held talks with US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman, who arrived in Islamabad on Friday for talks with top officials.
“The prime minister said that relations between Pakistan and United States are very important and we value United States as a major development partner,” a statement issued by the premier’s office read.
“We have a shared objective in fighting terrorism and need to cooperate more to get rid of this menace,” the statement read further.
Ambassador Grossman said that future relations between Pakistan and the US should be based on market access and trade.
The US government was working on a bilateral investment treaty to “facilitate” US investment in Pakistan and improve market access, according to the Pakistani statement. It read that the US had promised $200 million for the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The PM said that Pakistan had rendered great sacrifices in war against terrorism. He said, “Being a political government we are sensitive to public opinion. We have succeeded in mobilising the people and making them realise that terrorism is a threat to our country.” Raja referred to recent high-level exchanges and said that they were very useful in creating better understanding between the two countries. The PM said that Pakistan was facing energy crisis and the United States could help in overcoming it.
Talking about Afghanistan, the premier said, “We are just like family members. We need a peaceful and stable Afghanistan in our neighbourhood. We cannot leave our children on the mercy of the terrorists.” Separately, Ambassador Grossman also called on Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani. staff report/agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk