Pak PM, US vice president discuss Washington’s new S Asia strategy
WASHINGTON: US Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday had an “important conversation” with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the recently announced South Asia strategy of the US President Donald Trump, the White House said.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.
During the meeting, Pence highlighted ways that Pakistan could work with the US and others to bolster stability and prosperity for all in South Asia.
Pence reiterated President Trump’s belief that “Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort” in the region, the White House said.
“We value our relationship with Pakistan, a long-term partnership for security in the region. And we look forward to exploring ways that we can work even more closely with Pakistan and with your government to advance security throughout the region,” Pence was quoted as saying. WISMAR,GERMANY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on track to win a fourth term in Sunday’s national election despite a dip in support for her conservatives, a poll showed , and she shrugged off calls to quit from far-right hecklers.
Merkel has been repeatedly booed during the election campaign, particularly in Germany’s formerly Communist east, where support is strongest for the antiimmigration Alternative for Germany (AFD), set to enter parliament for the first time.
An opinion poll published on Tuesday by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily put the AFD on 10%, up two points since the end of August, while Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian CSU allies slipped two points to 36.5%.
However, the CDU/CSU remain far ahead of the centreleft Social Democrats, which were also down two points on 22%, according to the poll conducted by Allensbach for the FAZ, while the business-friendly Free Democrats edged up to 11%.
“People who whistle and heckle contribute little,” Merkel told a CDU rally in the northeastern port town of Wismar, not far from where she grew up.
Merkel was unperturbed when a man shouted “Traitor to the fatherland”, while far-right protestors carried posters reading “Merkel must go!”