Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said Pakistan wants to improve relations with the United States based on mutual respect and interest.
In an interview with ABC News‚ he said the US was an important country and Islamabad did not want to spoil its relations with it.
About drone attacks‚ the prime minister said, “We consider these attacks against sovereignty of Pakistan and this matter has been raised with the US authorities.” Gilani said the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had prepared recommendations for new terms of engagement with the United States and NATO. About relations with Afghanistan, he said both countries had suffered a lot in the war against terrorism and they should work together to fight the common enemy. He said Afghanistan’s stability was vital for Pakistan’s stability. “We are part of the solution and not part of the problem.” The prime minister said political reconciliation was the only answer for stability in both Pakistan and Afghanistan because military operations did not offer permanent solution to any problem.