Senior US officials says US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue likely to be held in January will discuss counter-terrorism, energy, economic growth and defence issues
The United States (US) has expressed US Secretary of State John Kerry’s eagerness to visit Pakistan next year as the two countries prepare to hold a ministerial session of the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue early in 2015.
“I don’t have any trips to announce at this point in time. I know the secretary’s eager to get there in 2015. So hopefully, we’ll have something to announce in the coming weeks,” US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said, when asked if the two sides are holding the strategic dialogue in Pakistan in January and when Kerry would be visiting Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Senior US official Jarrett Blanc, who serves as Principal Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, confirmed that the two countries “are planning for a strategic dialogue ministerial session early in 2015.”
The strategic dialogue session will time with US President Barack Obama’s visit to New Delhi in January for his appearance as chief guest at India’s Republic Day.
At a Congressional hearing, Blanc said the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue underpins intensive cooperation on issues from counterterrorism to energy to economic growth and defence.
“Our policy of sustained engagement to date has yielded tangible incremental results. A stable, prosperous Pakistan that plays a constructive role in the region is in both our countries’ interests and has an acute effect on the region.”
“We expect that this dialogue and cooperation will continue and increase, well beyond the transition in Afghanistan. We also recognise that our engagement with Pakistan is critical to advancing our regional objectives.”
The US-Pakistan relationship is vital to US national security and the two countries have many shared long-term interests in both economic and security cooperation, he added.
Pakistan is a complex democracy, representing 190 million people and grappling with substantial security challenges, he noted.
“It is often easy to criticise its imperfect progress but it is also easy to overlook its successes. In May 2013, Pakistan made its first democratic transition from one civilian government to another. This year, the military undertook multiple operations seeking to root out terrorism, including a major operation in North Waziristan. Pakistan concluded an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year and has made progress in stabilising its economy and implementing reforms, but has further to go to realise its economic potential. Protests this year have challenged Pakistan’s democratic institutions but they appear to be weathering the storm. In the aggregate, it is a positive trajectory, both in terms of Pakistan and our bilateral cooperation,” said the US official.