WASHINGTON-
Pakistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to build a strong and enduring partnership, saying it was “vital to regional and international security,” a joint statement said Monday.
“(The two sides) recognized their shared interest in Pakistan’s economic growth, increased trade, regional stability, and mutually determined measures to counter extremism and terrorism,” according to the statement issued after a ministerial meeting of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which was resumed after a hiatus of three years.
Advisor to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry led their respective countries’ high-level delegations to the day-long meeting which reviewed progress if the Strategic Dialogue’s five working groups on energy; security, strategic stability, and nonproliferation; defence; law enforcement and counterterrorism; and economics and finance.
Both chief delegates expressed their satisfaction over the outcome of the talks, which were held in a friendly atmosphere, marking the commitment of both countries to strengthen the bilateral relationship and advance their shared interests in a stable, secure, and prosperous Pakistan and the region.
“They recognized their shared interest in Pakistan’s economic growth, increased trade, regional stability, and mutually determined measures to counter extremism and terrorism,” the statement said.
Secretary Kerry and Advisor Aziz affirmed the utility of continuing to refine the goals and benchmarks by which success is measured, and looked forward to the next ministerial meeting.
They reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral trade and business links and welcomed the upcoming United States-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting in Washington next month. The Secretary underscored the U.S. commitment to supporting private sector-led growth in Pakistan and welcomed the proposal by Advisor Aziz to regularly convene a Joint Business and Investment Forum, involving the private sector.
Strategic Dialogue participants, including Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Asif, reviewed concrete next steps from the Energy Working Group, which was held in Washington last November, as well as a subsequent trade delegation to Houston, Texas.
The United States and Pakistan also underscored the importance of intensifying efforts to facilitate regional energy connectivity and continuing to upgrade Pakistan’s transmission infrastructure. Pakistan welcomed the recent U.S. commitment of $15 million in support of the Central Asia-South Asia
electricity transmission project (CASA-1000) that will help create a regional energy grid to link Central and South Asia for the first time.
Both sides expressed support for cooperation in expanding power generation capacity; promoting the efficient use of energy resources; fostering development of Pakistan’s gas resources and their efficient utilization; increasing utilization of hydroelectric and renewable resources; and continuing reforms to the energy sector to ensure its financial sustainability and to attract private sector investment.
Secretary Kerry and Advisor Aziz discussed the important role of investments in education in helping prepare Pakistan’s younger generation to enter the job market and become leaders in their country and communities.
They reaffirmed the shared intent expressed by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Sharif in October 2013 to further promote educational and research opportunities for Pakistani students, scholars, and researchers in U.S. institutions.
The two chief delegates and their respective delegations had constructive conversations on security, strategic stability, and Pakistan’s intensified efforts to combat terrorism, according to the statement. Secretary Kerry thanked Advisor Aziz for Pakistan’s efforts to help defeat Al-Qaeda and expressed appreciation for the sacrifices of Pakistan’s military personnel and civilians in the fight against terrorism and extremism. The Defence Consultative Group (DCG) annual engagement is the key bilateral forum for discussing the U.S.-Pakistan security relationship and defense cooperation. The DCG last met in November, and both sides renewed their commitment to pursuing a forward-looking,
transparent, and politically sustainable defense relationship in areas of mutual interest. The United States expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued contribution to regional maritime security, and both sides reaffirmed the decision by President Obama and Prime Minister Sharif to strengthen their cooperation in this area.
A follow-on Defence Resourcing Conference (D.R.C.) next month will focus on security assistance issues. The United States and Pakistan will participate in the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, and both countries look forward to continuing the bilateral dialogue on security, strategic stability, and
non-proliferation (SSSNP). Secretary Kerry expressed confidence in Pakistan’s commitment and dedication to nuclear security and appreciation for Pakistan’s efforts to improve its strategic trade controls. He also recognized that Pakistan is fully engaged with the international community on nuclear safety and security
issues.
Both sides welcomed plans to convene the Law Enforcement and Counterterrorism Working Group in March in Washington, DC. During that meeting, the two countries look forward to discussing counterterrorism cooperation and assistance, as well as additional joint steps to counter improvised explosive devices (IED), disrupt terrorist financing, and improve border management. Both Secretary Kerry and Advisor Aziz condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Secretary Kerry expressed appreciation for the steps taken by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Government of Pakistan to combat terrorism.
The United States and Pakistan renewed their common resolve to promote peace, stability, and transparency throughout the region and to eliminate the threats posed by extremism and terrorism.
Recognizing the paramount importance of regional stability, they stressed that a peaceful, stable, independent, and united Afghanistan is in the interest of the region, and affirmed the important role of countries in the region in supporting Afghanistan’s progress toward stability and prosperity. Both sides
emphasized their support for a policy of non-interference in Afghanistan by all countries of the region.
Both sides also reaffirmed that Afghan-led peace and reconciliation is the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability of Afghanistan and the region. They noted Pakistan’s important role in supporting Afghan-led reconciliation, and Secretary Kerry expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s concrete efforts in this regard. Both sides reiterated their call on the Taliban to join the political process and enter into dialogue with the Afghan government.
Secretary Kerry and Advisor Aziz reiterated that peace and reconciliation must respect the historic achievements that Afghanistan has made over the past decade. Both sides shared their mutual conviction that a stable and peaceful Pakistan-Afghanistan border was important for the success of counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and counter-IED efforts, and that cross-border militancy was a serious threat to both countries. They thus underscored the critical significance of improved border control in achieving these objectives.
Secretary Kerry and Advisor Aziz also recognized the potential for enhanced stability and prosperity from improved bilateral relations between Pakistan and India, benefiting the lives of citizens on both sides of the border. Toward that end, the United States welcomed Prime Minister Sharif’s vision for a peaceful neighborhood and efforts for the economic uplift of the people of the region, including steps taken by Pakistan and India to improve their relations.
-APP
