Pak must be a key partner in efforts to eliminate terrorism in Afghanistan: State Dept

0
135

The United States has said that Pakistan is and must be a key partner in the efforts to eliminate terrorism from Afghanistan.

Answering a question by an Indian journalist, State Department spokesman John Kirby in a briefing on Thursday said Pakistan shared a long border with Afghanistan and they shared common threats and common challenges.

“And there have been times when Pakistan and Afghanistan didn’t see eye to eye on every issue, and there have been times when they have found ways to work together. And we continue to stress the importance of a strong bilateral relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” added Kirby.

To a question, the spokesman said Afghanistan was not a country that continued to face a very real threat from terrorism as groups like Daesh were trying to expand their influence in the country.

John Kirby said they knew that not every member of the Taliban had and was willing to embrace the political process moving forward. “That’s why it’s important that the United States continues to make clear our intention and our support of a strong, sovereign, secure, stable Afghanistan.”

He said US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with both President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah just Thursday morning about the importance of continuing to move forward with the political and economic reforms that they’re trying to enact and that all those reforms.