Foreign Affairs Secretary Tehmina Janjua met with the United States (US) Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon as she arrived in New York to attend the 72nd United Nations (UN) General Assembly session.
Janjua and Shannon held frank and cordial discussions and the foreign secretary conveyed Pakistan’s viewpoint on the new strategy. She emphasised that peace in Afghanistan was a high priority for Pakistan and stressed that intra-Afghan dialogue was vital to bring lasting peace to the country and the region.
“Pakistan would continue to play a facilitating role for a peaceful Afghanistan,” she said. Speaking about the Pakistan-US relations, the foreign secretary said that Pakistan had always given importance to relations with US. The foreign secretary conveyed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen this relationship and base it on mutual trust and respect.
Recent statements by the US had evoked strong public reaction in Pakistan. However, both countries could work together to attain common objectives, such as defeating Daesh in Afghanistan. Both the sides agreed to remain engaged at all levels in the coming days. Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry also attended the meeting.