WASHINGTON, Sept 26: The Friends of Pakistan group has expressed its outrage at acts of terrorism in Pakistan, in particular the recent attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, says a statement issued on Friday by the US State Department.

The statement, attributed to the chairman of the group, President Asif Ali Zardari, noted that the Friends of Pakistan made clear that they stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against such terrorism.

The group noted the formidable challenges Pakistan faced and the importance of coordinated international cooperation as the government worked to address them. They welcomed the Pakistani leadership’s focus on national development as a strategic priority and desire to promote peace and stability in the country and the region.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Turkey, and representatives of the European Union and the United Nations met under the co-chairmanship of President Zardari and the Foreign Ministers of United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, to launch the Friends of Pakistan Group in New York on Friday.

The ministers congratulated President Zardari on his election as president and noted the significant opportunities for Pakistan under democratically-elected, civilian leadership. They made clear their determination to support the government of Pakistan in its efforts to consolidate democracy to enable the people of Pakistan to benefit from this historic opportunity.

With this in mind, the Friends agreed that the Group should work in strategic partnership with Pakistan and other relevant partners in the following areas:

The meeting recognised the significant problem of violent extremism in Pakistan and looks to Pakistan to lead the fight against this extremism, with the support of the international community. The group committed to work with Pakistan to develop an over-arching Pakistani-led strategy and to provide technical assistance for this.

The meeting agreed to develop a comprehensive approach to the economic and social development of Pakistan, with a particular focus on education, health and human development. The group acknowledged the need for Pakistan to undertake serious economic reform and agreed to look at improved trade access for Pakistan to their markets. The group also agreed to encourage private sector involvement in Pakistan’s development.