ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reiterated its commitment to a broad-based and long-term bilateral relationship with the United States on Friday, pointing out that “structured engagement” between the two countries was essential to achieve their shared objectives of peace and development in the region.
According to an official statement circulated by the foreign office in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood made the observations after receiving a phone call from US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Ambassador Victoria Nuland.
The statement added that the foreign secretary maintained there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and reaffirmed his country’s support to the Afghan peace process.
“He stressed that there was a fundamental convergence between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan,” said the official statement. “The Foreign Secretary underscored the urgency of accelerating intra-Afghan peace negotiations and the importance of a responsible withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.”
The senior Pakistani official also noted it was essential for key regional and international stakeholders to press all Afghan parties “to engage constructively toward achieving an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan told a leading US publication in a recent interview that his country played a pivotal role in convincing the Taliban to talk to the United States and the administration in Kabul.
However, US President Joe Biden has not made contact with him since he took over the top political office in his country in January.
Biden has already held a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Washington.
The Pakistani prime minister recently refused to lend military bases to the United States to monitor the situation in Afghanistan and launch limited aerial incursions in that country after the withdrawal of its forces.
The country’s national security adviser Moeed Yusuf wished Washington “good luck” during an interview with a local news channel if it thought it did not need to engage with Islamabad at a critical juncture when it was pulling out its troops from Afghanistan.
However, officials in Islamabad have expressed interest in a continued economic engagement with the US.
The foreign secretary also emphasized the idea of further strengthening trade relations between the two countries.
“Underlining Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics, the Foreign Secretary reiterated the importance of enhancing economic, trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the United States,” the statement added. “He highlighted the progress made by the Government in improving the ease of doing business and promoting a more conducive environment for foreign investment in Pakistan.”
The two officials agreed to “maintain close coordination on all matters of common interest.”