Pakistan, US begin strategic dialogue
Friday, 22 October 2010
From Fazle Rashid
NEW YORK, Oct 21: Pakistan and the US yesterday began a "strategic dialogue" which will end on Friday. President Obama joined the meeting between his top advisers and the visiting Pakistani officials for 45 minutes to discuss mutual issues and to bolster the rocky relationship with its most important partner in war against terrorism.
At the meeting Pakistan was represented by its foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureishi and chief of army staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Qayani. The ties between the two countries have been strained lately after a helicopter strike on a border post killed several Pakistani soldiers and Islamabad responded by temporarily closing the critical supply line, the New York Times (NTT) in a report said today.
President Obama told the meeting that he would not be visiting Pakistan during his coming visit to Asia in November which will take him to India. President Obama, however, committed that he would visit Pakistan next year.
The US President met with his national security team for 90 minutes yesterday to discuss Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan was the biggest focus of the meeting.
President Obama will leave for his Asian visit after the mid-term Congressional polls on November 2. The visit will take him to India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea where G20 summit will take place.
NEW YORK, Oct 21: Pakistan and the US yesterday began a "strategic dialogue" which will end on Friday. President Obama joined the meeting between his top advisers and the visiting Pakistani officials for 45 minutes to discuss mutual issues and to bolster the rocky relationship with its most important partner in war against terrorism.
At the meeting Pakistan was represented by its foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureishi and chief of army staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Qayani. The ties between the two countries have been strained lately after a helicopter strike on a border post killed several Pakistani soldiers and Islamabad responded by temporarily closing the critical supply line, the New York Times (NTT) in a report said today.
President Obama told the meeting that he would not be visiting Pakistan during his coming visit to Asia in November which will take him to India. President Obama, however, committed that he would visit Pakistan next year.
The US President met with his national security team for 90 minutes yesterday to discuss Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan was the biggest focus of the meeting.
President Obama will leave for his Asian visit after the mid-term Congressional polls on November 2. The visit will take him to India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea where G20 summit will take place.