Citing the importance of their relationship, the United States and Pakistan have rejected the notion of estrangement in bilateral ties as they take steps to repair the strains and build ties on a stable basis.
"From our perspective, divorce is not an option with Pakistan. We have a strategic interest in common. We have a lot of work to do together, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told the daily press briefing.
She was asked to comment on Pakistani ambassador Sherry Rehman's first speech before an American audience on Wednesday, calling for "more consistent, stable and transparent equation" between the two countries while avoiding divorce.
We have a national interest in Pakistan that is increasingly stable, peaceful, free of terror, democratic etc. Nuland added.
Ambassador Rehman told an audience of foreign relations experts and South Asian analysts at the U.S. Institute of Peace that relations between Washington and Islamabad are burdened by too many expectations and have become overly emotional.
The marriage metaphor, for instance, never seems to go away, with its implicit embrace of love and hate, life, death, and divorce, which we seek to assiduously avoid, Rehman said.
Given the state of strategic flux our region faces, at a time of unprecedented challenges and the responsibilities such transitions bring with it, this is too important and too sensitive a relationship to carry this volume and scale of unregulated hyperbole, the Pakistani envoy said.
In her comments, Nuland said, "We are continuing to do a lot of work together and we are looking forward to the completion of Pakistan's internal review of our military to military relationship so we can get back to all the important work we have together.
Pakistan is reviewing its cooperation with Washington after a deadly cross-border incident on Nov. 26 in which U.S.-led NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. (APP)
Since then, Pakistan has closed critical NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.
We do have a full spectrum review ending soon, which will roadmap the terms of our renewed cooperation. And that we hope will be very soon, Ambassador Rehman said.
Calling for a re-set in the bilateral equation, Rehman said, The (Nov. 26) tragedy at Mohmand really served as an end-line trigger that called for a fundamental re-set.
She also told the think tank event that Islamabad is working as a democracy and can no longer make crucial strategic decisons based on one phone call.
The lingering question of greater access for Pakistani products in the U.S. market- stressed by Ambassador Rehman in her speech - was also raised at the daily briefing.
"Secretary (of State Hillary Clinton) has been one of the most vocal advocates of switching as much of our economic relationship with Pakistan from aid to trade.
That's been the focus of the Department's efforts with the Pakistani Government over the last couple of years, and some of the internal reviews we've done are focused on that," Nuland said, replying to a question.
Islamabad has long sought preferrentail access for its products in the U.S. market but moves by American administrations like Reconstruction Opportunity Zones for Pakistan and Afghanistan have made no headway on the Capitol Hill despite the idea being around for several years now.
Pakistan has been pressing its allies that it needs greater trade, especially for export of its textile products as it struggles to cope with 78 billion dollars in losses due to the continuing Afghan conflict and its own fight against terrorists with its several repercussions.
The European Union has recently agreed to extend preferential access to Pakistani products and Ambassador Rehman hoped the U.S. would also enable easy trade access for Pakistan.
State Department spokesperson Nuland said she could not address the subject of access for Pakistani textiles right away and would get back to reporters on the issue.
However, Nuland said, Washington is investing in the economic health and strength of Pakistan.
"We are investing in energy. We're investing in education. We are investing in democracy programs and development, so and micro lending and all of these kinds of things. So it's not about improving our image. It's about helping to strengthen a stable, peaceful, democratic Pakistan." (APP)
"From our perspective, divorce is not an option with Pakistan. We have a strategic interest in common. We have a lot of work to do together, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told the daily press briefing.
She was asked to comment on Pakistani ambassador Sherry Rehman's first speech before an American audience on Wednesday, calling for "more consistent, stable and transparent equation" between the two countries while avoiding divorce.
We have a national interest in Pakistan that is increasingly stable, peaceful, free of terror, democratic etc. Nuland added.
Ambassador Rehman told an audience of foreign relations experts and South Asian analysts at the U.S. Institute of Peace that relations between Washington and Islamabad are burdened by too many expectations and have become overly emotional.
The marriage metaphor, for instance, never seems to go away, with its implicit embrace of love and hate, life, death, and divorce, which we seek to assiduously avoid, Rehman said.
Given the state of strategic flux our region faces, at a time of unprecedented challenges and the responsibilities such transitions bring with it, this is too important and too sensitive a relationship to carry this volume and scale of unregulated hyperbole, the Pakistani envoy said.
In her comments, Nuland said, "We are continuing to do a lot of work together and we are looking forward to the completion of Pakistan's internal review of our military to military relationship so we can get back to all the important work we have together.
Pakistan is reviewing its cooperation with Washington after a deadly cross-border incident on Nov. 26 in which U.S.-led NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. (APP)
Since then, Pakistan has closed critical NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.
We do have a full spectrum review ending soon, which will roadmap the terms of our renewed cooperation. And that we hope will be very soon, Ambassador Rehman said.
Calling for a re-set in the bilateral equation, Rehman said, The (Nov. 26) tragedy at Mohmand really served as an end-line trigger that called for a fundamental re-set.
She also told the think tank event that Islamabad is working as a democracy and can no longer make crucial strategic decisons based on one phone call.
The lingering question of greater access for Pakistani products in the U.S. market- stressed by Ambassador Rehman in her speech - was also raised at the daily briefing.
"Secretary (of State Hillary Clinton) has been one of the most vocal advocates of switching as much of our economic relationship with Pakistan from aid to trade.
That's been the focus of the Department's efforts with the Pakistani Government over the last couple of years, and some of the internal reviews we've done are focused on that," Nuland said, replying to a question.
Islamabad has long sought preferrentail access for its products in the U.S. market but moves by American administrations like Reconstruction Opportunity Zones for Pakistan and Afghanistan have made no headway on the Capitol Hill despite the idea being around for several years now.
Pakistan has been pressing its allies that it needs greater trade, especially for export of its textile products as it struggles to cope with 78 billion dollars in losses due to the continuing Afghan conflict and its own fight against terrorists with its several repercussions.
The European Union has recently agreed to extend preferential access to Pakistani products and Ambassador Rehman hoped the U.S. would also enable easy trade access for Pakistan.
State Department spokesperson Nuland said she could not address the subject of access for Pakistani textiles right away and would get back to reporters on the issue.
However, Nuland said, Washington is investing in the economic health and strength of Pakistan.
"We are investing in energy. We're investing in education. We are investing in democracy programs and development, so and micro lending and all of these kinds of things. So it's not about improving our image. It's about helping to strengthen a stable, peaceful, democratic Pakistan." (APP)
No comments:
Post a Comment