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Strategic dialogue with US on 29th

Anwar Iqbal Published
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WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan will hold the sixth ministerial level strategic dialogue here on Feb 29, official sources told Dawn.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and US Secretary of State John Kerry will lead their sides at these talks. The fifth session was held in Islamabad on Jan 13 last year.

The dialogue process began in 2010 and the two countries held three ministerial meetings between March and October that year when Pakistan was considered a key strategic ally in the fight against terrorism.

But the process was interrupted in 2011 when a US midnight raid in Abbottabad killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. It resumed in 2014 after a gap of more than three years when Mr Aziz and Secretary Kerry met in Washington on Jan 27.

The dialogue will focus on Pakistan’s economic growth, trade and energy cooperation, regional stability, and countering extremism and terrorism. The two sides will also review the progress made by the working groups on economy and fina­nce; de­­fence; law-enforcement and counter-terrorism; security, strategic stability, and non-proliferation; and energy.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2016

Pakistan
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Anwar Iqbal is the Washington correspondent for Dawn. During a long journalism career, he has interviewed world leaders and cultural icons, including US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Josh Malihabadi, Bacha Khan, Nobel laureate Abdus Salam, and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Anwar Iqbal

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khanm
Feb 16, 2016 01:26pm
strategic dialogue would only be effective if we exchange/ trade in our nuclear arsenal for peace and prosperity..with this week economy getting worst day by day... It is a thought to ponder..... My sincere advice.....However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
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Zak
Feb 16, 2016 05:17pm
US knows it is quagmired in Afghanistan and needs Pakistan to get it out. We remain sincere , even to those friends, who have been insincere with us.
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US CENTCOM
Feb 16, 2016 09:13pm
@ Zak, The U.S. and Pakistan have been working together for over to decade to restore peace in the region. And yes, we are faced with certain challenges that not only affect the U.S. efforts in the region, but also affect our shared peace goals in the region. Pakistan’s importance has always been acknowledged in the region, and our leaders continue to appreciate Pakistan’s efforts in countering terrorism. In fact, State Department spokesman Mark Toner just said this in regards to Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations: “So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the United States and in the interests of the region more broadly.” If you remember some years back, our nations committed to improving communication and coordination in order to prevent any issues from arising. These meetings allow us to address any possible shared concerns while strengthening our partnership. Ali Khan Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM
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Zak
Feb 16, 2016 10:12pm
@US CENTCOM Ali, thanks for the brief shared history. However, after all that pakistan has done, US turns to sells Nucleuar fuel to India, helps a waiver from compulsory NPT rules signature. And US has not helped deal with Indian occupied kashmir, the sole cause of mayhem in Afghanistan, Pakistan- India conflict, worst human rights record in the world. And has forgotten that Pakistan helped US become the sole super power by initially leading the fight against Soviet Union in 1979 in Afghanistan, later Saudi and US joined in. Now we pay the price of the legacy of that war. And as I said, to us that is insincerety, but still we never forsake an old friend in the hour of need. That's why we are stepping forward to help bring peace and the antagonists the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table, so that peace prevails and no one loses life, including US soldiers.
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