ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, on Friday, emphasised the need for structured engagement between Pakistan and the United States for promotion of "shared objectives" as well as enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties between the two countries.
According to a Foreign Office statement, the foreign secretary received a telephone call from the US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador Victoria Nuland, in which they discussed bilateral relations and key regional issues.
In his conversation, the foreign secretary referred to the regional situation, particularly Afghanistan and reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for 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.
The foreign secretary underscored the urgency of accelerating intra-Afghan peace negotiations and the importance of a responsible withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
He said that it was important for the key regional and international stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to engage constructively towards achieving an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.
On the bilateral ties, the foreign secretary underlined Pakistan's commitment to forging a broad-based and long-term bilateral relationship with the United States.
He said that structured engagement was key to the promotion of the two countries' shared objectives of peace and development.
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.
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 foreign secretary also thanked Under-Secretary Nuland for the Covid-related support extended to Pakistan by the United States.
The foreign secretary and Under-Secretary Nuland agreed to maintain close coordination on all matters of common interest.
The telephonic call by the top US diplomat comes at a time when security situation in Afghanistan has further been worsened following Taliban stepped up offensive against the Afghan forces claiming to have brought over a 100 districts in their control.
Diplomatic sources said that Pakistan has been sharing its concerns with the United States over the quick withdrawal of its troops amid no progress in the peace process, as chaos in Afghanistan would not only have consequences for Afghanistan, but also for Pakistan and beyond.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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