Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi has underscored that an enduring Pakistan-US partnership is vital to regional and international security.
He was addressing a roundtable discussion held at the John Hopkins University on “US-Pakistan relations: The Way Forward.”
The roundtable was moderated by Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Dean Dr Vali Nasr and was attended by leading scholars, academicians and selected members of Washington’s think tank community.
In his opening remarks, Fatemi highlighted the importance Pakistan attaches to stronger Pakistan-US cooperation. He noted that substantial progress has been made in the bilateral relationship, especially since PM Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Washington last year.
The special assistant stated that Pakistan and the US are closely cooperating in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan. The US has appreciated Pakistan’s positive role and contribution to enabling Afghanistan to hold the recent presidential election in a peaceful manner.
During the interactive session, the Fatemi responded to various questions related to different aspects of Pakistan’s relations with the US, China, India and other countries in the region. Fatemi stressed that Pakistan is willing to play a constructive role for maintaining peace and tranquillity in the region and beyond.
He hoped that the forthcoming meetings between Pakistan and India at the foreign secretaries’ level would set the stage for a constructive dialogue between the two countries leading to resolution of all outstanding issues.
