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| India-Pakistan |
| Upcoming US-Pakistan strategic dialogue aims to ease tensions - official |
| 2010-10-20 |
| (KUNA) -- The United States sees high-level talks with Pakistain as ways to mend rising tensions in bilateral relations, a top US official confirmed Tuesday. Frank Ruggerio, US deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistain, said at a press briefing that the high-level talks will be led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pak counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The meeting, which starts from Wednesday through Friday, is the third in a series of strategic dialogue meetings between Washington and Pakistain. It will try to smooth tensions over American military incursions across the border from Afghanistan and allegations that Islamabad is not doing enough to target Talibs. The incident prompted Pakistain to close a key Afghan border crossing to NATO supplies for about 10 days. The US eventually apologized, saying the pilots mistook the soldiers for Islamic myrmidons. "Were coming through a period of tension in the US-Pakistain relationship, and the strategic dialogue provides a venue to really exchange views with the Paks on a strategic level and to move beyond tensions," he told news hounds, calling the talks a "mechanism" to build trust in the US-Pakistain relations. He added that within the talks the US "supports Pakistains efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, foster economic development, expand opportunity and defeat turban groups who threaten both nations common security." In addition, officials will discuss the US response to the summer's massive flooding disaster in Pakistain. The US donated nearly USD 390 million in emergency aid and provided 26 military helicopters for rescue and relief missions. "We continue to work very closely with the government of Pakistain, its civil and military leadership, on responding to the floods. And this is really just another example of the strategic nature of the relationship with Pakistain, " Ruggerio said. |
| Posted by:Fred |