Pakistan and the United States on Thursday decided to resume strategic dialogue stalled after US attack on Pakistani check post near Afghan border in Salala in November 2011.
The decision was taken in a flurry of meetings by US Secretary of State John Kerry with top Pakistani civil and military leadership. During his unannounced visit to Pakistan, Kerry also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit the United States for talks with President Barack Obama.
“To ensure that we continue our important bilateral conversation at the highest levels I have extended on behalf of the president of the United States an invitation to Prime Minister Sharif to meet with the president in the United States this fall,” Kerry said while jointly addressing a news conference with National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz who led Pakistani delegation in bilateral talks.
Later, Kerry had a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Sharif which was later joined by Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the intelligence chiefs. The talks focused on deepening bilateral ties, trade, Pakistani reservations on US drone attacks and Pakistani plans to hold dialogue with Taleban.
Kerry said the two sides had agreed to resume strategic dialogue to foster “deeper, broader and more comprehensive partnership” after a two-year period that saw relations stumble from crisis to crisis. “I can tell you unequivocally that we do share a long-term vision of the relationship and I believe that in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif we have someone who’s committed to try to grow that relationship,” Kerry said.
He said both sides have long-term common interests and concerns and any gaps can be bridged through dialogue.
On drone attacks Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan conveyed to the US side popular sentiments that these undermine country’s sovereignty and solidarity. Kerry reiterated President Obama’s position on use of drones to target its enemies.
Washington is determined to move the relationship with Pakistan to a full partnership and find ways to deal with “individual issues that have been irritants over the last years”, Kerry said, adding that Obama was looking forward to meeting Sharif “in a month or so in the US”.
Sharif will visit the US next month on the occasion of UN General Assembly session and is likely to make a brief trip to Washington for talks with Obama.
Source: Khaleej Times
Complete nonsense, there is no “strategic” relationship. Stupid Pakistani leaders are duping the public for dollars to fill their corrupt pockets. Kerry invoked terrorist acts within the country as usurping national sovereignty, to justify drone attacks. The temerity of this argument baffles one’s intelligence.