The United States on Friday said it has made "huge advances" in its relationship with Pakistan and pledged "serious intense" discussions with the key ally on enhancing economic and security co-operation at next week's strategic dialogue.
The dialogue to be led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on March 24 "marks major intensification in our relationship," Special Representative Richard Holbrooke said. The strategic dialogue will be the first ministerial discussions and the first ever round of the process under the Obama Administration.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates, his counterpart Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, senior Finance, Economic and Energy and Water officials from both countries, Pakistan Army Chief General Kayani and Chairman US Joint Chiefs Staff Admiral Mullen will also attend the dialogues, which Holbrooke said would not be a photo opportunity.
He indicated that the Obama Administration would "do more and announce more" to assist Pakistan's development in various fields. "Beyond the strategic broad-range discussions, we want to move into operational things like water, energy,"he added. The upcoming dialogue will have a "broad" and complex agenda, he said.
"These meetings are part of a process," the diplomat said at a special State Department briefing. He revealed the United States will return to Islamabad at the invitation of Pakistani government for the next round of the dialogues within six months and added that Secretary Clinton has in principle accepted the idea.
"It is a partnership that goes far beyond security. It represents the shared commitment of both nations to strengthening the bilateral relationship and building even a broader based on mutual respect and mutual trust," he said, referring to President Barak Obama's vision and the policy being pursued by Secretary Hillary Clinton.
The US, he said, is supporting Pakistan as it seeks to strengthen democratic institutions and seeks to foster more economic development, expand opportunities, deal with its energy and water problems and defeat extremists who threaten Pakistan's security regional stability as well as American national security. On building trust between the two sides, he called it "a work in progress" but added the two countries have made "huge advances" in ties under the Obama Administration.
He said the core of the dialogue includes US co-operation for Pakistan's economic and democratic development and security, destroying al Qaeda and helping Afghanistan's security. In the dialogue, Holbrooke said the two sides would be setting up working groups that will work at lower levels to discuss ways for enhancing co-operation in various areas.
In response to a question about the utilisation of funds under the Kerry-Lugar Act, Holbrooke said "we are looking for every way to accelerate the disbursement." "We are doing more, we will announce more, we want to do as much as the Congress will support -- but Congress writes the cheques," he added.
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