US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A. Boucher has said the United States and Pakistan are very close to sign bilateral investment treaty.
In an interview with PTV late on Wednesday night, he said they had extensive discussion with Pakistan on investment agreement before the visit of the US President.
"We are close on very technical and legal issues and made certain proposals to Pakistani side and are looking for return, the next step for final arrangements", he said.
"Bilateral investment certainly helps our trade relations and we want Pakistan to expand in other areas," he added. Boucher said they had programmes for competitiveness of industries and production, opening of product avenues to the United Stated.
He credited Pakistan's economy as very good, and said: "We are looking how it could expand. "We would go in a very deliberate and careful manner, it would take some months to develop," he added.
ENERGY NEEDS Boucher said that US was interested in helping Pakistan to meet its growing energy needs. He said he held broad-based discussion with President Pervez Musharraf, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and other officials in this connection.
He recalled that these matters were also discussed with the US President during his visit to Pakistan which helped in enhancing the broadening of relations, and added now "we have deeper relations which we had never before."
Referring to US-India nuclear civilian deal, Boucher said: "Obviously, one aspect of the discussion was the energy co-operation between the US and Pakistan."
He said: "We are looking how to meet future requirements of Pakistan's energy needs," adding: "We are very excited about Pakistan's economic growth of 8.5 percent per year, which is a very good achievement.
"The nuclear deal we have with India is unique, it is based on particular circumstances and relationship we have now there", he said.
He said: "That's our answer to those who say that you did with India and need to do with Pakistan."
To a question regarding possibility of arms race in the region and conversion of indigenous arms capabilities into nuclear by India, he said: "First of all we take the obligation of non-proliferation treaty (NPT) seriously. We are bound by that treaty not to help non-nuclear states acquire nuclear weapons."
Boucher said: "We have been dealing these issues and answering a lot of questions, which say that you did this and you have a lot of availability for military side, I don't think so. I say that if you have certain amount of capability under safeguards and you expand it under those safeguards, it is only available for civilian use," he said.
He said: "I cannot see how they expand it to military side, it reduces the ability to produce nuclear weapons or to expand nuclear power."
Answering a question about inspection of Indian nuclear facilities, he said it was not a part of the agreement. "The deal we feel comfortable by helping a civilian power."
IMMIGRATION POLICY Boucher said that change in immigration policy would facilitate people. It was enacted to control illegal immigration from Mexico and other countries from South, and people staying in the US illegally.
He said it was part of security procedures in the aftermath of 9/11 to secure the US people and economy.
"To make those procedures efficient for those who waited for visas for many months, would now get it in 30 days while in some cases within five days", and added: "We welcome students, because we think sharing of education is the best response."
He also invited Pakistani students to study in the US because they recognised how it was important for their lives, for their parents and society, he added.
KASHMIR ISSUE About Kashmir issue, Boucher termed the developments good, and said simple answer to that question was what they should be doing everything and everything was possible and everything they needed to be comfortable with.
He said: "We certainly praise the remarkable progress Pakistan and India have made in the recent days," and added there was severe tension a few years ago and people feared a nuclear war.
But now they had bus lines, railway lines, opening of points for communication and visitors, which was helpful for the composite dialogue, he added.
About the US stand on the issue, he said: "We encourage every progress on the issue of Kashmir. Both sides have been talking about ideas and meeting with different parties and Kashmiris.
"We are interested friends rather than participants," he added.
WAR ON TERRORISM With regard to war on terrorism, particularly in Afghanistan, he said: "We all have the responsibility, we have the US troops, Afghanistan have troops and Pakistan have troops on both sides of the border."
He said in their place, we are respecting the sovereignty of the border. "We need to cooperate, our common enemy is Taleban and al Qaeda people."
For Afghan border security, he said: "We are responsible for trilateral talks and we are looking for close co-operation." He said the US was working with Afghan government on their whole anti-narcotics programme, education, eradication of drugs, improvement of law-enforcement agencies and other areas.
He also lauded Pakistan for its success against poppy cultivation.
With regard to the United Nations reforms, he said it was quite considerable agenda, as the US wanted to see the UN as more effective organisation to meet the needs of the people across the globe.
Replying to a question about the timeframe of US troops withdrawal from Iraq, he said it was unpredictable because it depended on circumstances, but made it clear that they did not want to stay long.
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