The United States cannot abandon Pakistan but the South Asian nation must help solve Afghanistan’s difficulties or it will “continue to be part of the problem”. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. Answering questions after a speech sponsored by the Centre for American Progress in Washington, Clinton said the United States had no choice but to work with Pakistan in trying to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan.
“This is a very difficult relationship but I believe strongly it is not one we can walk away from and expect that anything will turn out better,” she said. “Pakistan has to be part of the solution or they will continue to be part of the problem,” she added. “And therefore, as frustrating as it is, we just keep every day going at it and I think we make very slow, sometimes barely discernible progress, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
