Resuming the stalled strategic dialogue with Pakistan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy Thomas Nides will take up the entire range of issues with Pakistani authorities here on Monday (today) and Tuesday.
“Nides’ visit would formally resume the Pak-US strategic dialogue that was stalled with tensions soaring over the issue of CIA operative Raymond Davis,” diplomatic sources told Online on Sunday.
According to the sources, the deputy secretary of state would also carry out the follow-up of Clinton’s last month’s visit here, from which she had returned with a number of commitments from the Pakistani side.
“Besides his meeting with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, he would also call on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani as well as President Asif Ali Zardari,” Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua confirmed. “Arriving Sunday, the US functionary is most likely to stay here till Tuesday,” she told Online.
According to Janjua, the visiting US official’s talks in Islamabad would cover the whole range of issues between the two countries. “The talks would be focusing on pending issues of US financial assistance to Pakistan besides the reimbursement overdue of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF),” she added.
