We want preferential trade, not aid, Sherry Rehman tells US

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anjum
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Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States (US) Sherry Rehman said on Wednesday that Islamabad wants preferential trade, not aid for being a US ally. During a conference in Washington at the US Institute of Peace, Rehman said Pakistan will support Afghan-led peace initiatives but not align itself with any side in the conflict. She said that Pakistan is “not seeking to support, bolster or play strategic games with any group in Afghanistan.” She said that during Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s last visit to Afghanistan, equal time was given to all ethnic and insurgent groups, including the Northern Alliance.
Meanwhile, on the topic of US aid to Pakistan, Rehman said civilian and military aid to Islamabad has faced delays and blockades. The envoy said a “long conversation” is needed on how aid is delivered as well as “the metrics of its success.”
“I would like to point out that the EU, with its far more complex architecture of bylaws, fine print, and coordination challenges, has come through with preferential trade agreements for Pakistan as we speak,” Rehman added, “So our question is: what is our biggest ally doing for us while we stand on the front line?.”
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said divorce in relations with Pakistan is not an option for the United States, adding that the American administration wants a stable, peaceful and democratic Pakistan.
Briefing journalists, Nuland said that American administration wants a stable, peaceful and democratic Pakistan and wants to revive the relationship to the level where it was before the troubles in the recent past.
Responding to the remarks of Pakistani Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman, who had spoken at an event earlier on Wednesday about the analogy of love, hate, life, death, and sometimes divorce in the relationship with Pakistan, Nuland said: “Divorce is not an option with Pakistan from our perspective.”
“We have strategic interests in common, and a lot of work to do together. We have a national interest in a Pakistan that is increasingly stable, peaceful, free of terror, democratic, etc etc. So we are continuing to do a lot of work together, and we’re looking forward to the completion of Pakistan’s internal review of our military-to-military relationship so we can get back to all the important work we have together,” she said.
On another question about the Pakistani envoy’s assertion of “trade-not-aid based relations” with the US, Nuland said that even Secretary Clinton had been one of the most vocal advocates of switching as much of the American economic relationship with Pakistan from aid to trade.

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80 COMMENTS

  64. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  65. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  66. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  67. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  68. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  69. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  70. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  71. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  72. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  73. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

  79. We must insists on preferential trade no matter how long it takes. Sherry Rahman is our ambassador and it only weakens our countries cause if we condemn a correct policy because we have a personal dislike for her

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