Pakistan and US vow to remain engaged as Abbasi meets Pence
new york — Pakistan and the United States have agreed to stay engaged with a constructive approach to achieve shared objectives of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region.
The consensus was reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and US Vice-President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.
Both sides discussed issues relating to bilateral relations as well as peace and stability in Afghanistan and the entire region. PM Abbasi shared Pakistan’s concerns and views with regard to the US strategy for South Asia.
According to a Foreign Office statement issued in Islamabad, in his opening remarks, the US vicepresident greeted Abbasi on behalf of President Donald Trump. He recalled the strategy articulated by Trump on South Asia and said the US valued its relationship with Pakistan, a long term partnership for security in the region.
“We look forward to exploring ways so that we can work even more closely with Pakistan and with your government to advance security throughout the region,” he told Abbasi.
In response, Abbasi said Pakistan intends to continue efforts to eliminate terrorism in the area. “We have made our contributions, we fought a very difficult war, we suffered casualties and have suffered economic losses and that is the message that we bring to the world,” he said. “We are partners in the war against terrorism.”
“It was a good meeting,” Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua told reporters after the 45-minute meeting between PM Abbasi and Pence that United States had requested, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Responding to questions, she termed the progress made at the meeting as an “icebreaker”. She said it was agreed that the US would send a delegation to Pakistan in October to continue the talks.
It was the first high-level contact between the two countries, after the announcement of the new US strategy by President Donald Trump on Afghanistan and South Asia, that carried a series of unfounded charges against Pakistan for not doing enough in its fight against terrorism.
The foreign secretary said the prime minister expressed concern over the greater role that the new policy advocated for India.
She said Abbasi elaborated the points raised by the National Security Committee in which Pakistan categorically rejected allegations contained in Trump’s speech, saying “scapegoating Pakistan will not help bring stability to Afghanistan”. — IANS, APP