U.S. diplomat Alice Wells admits Pakistan's role in war on terror

APD NEWS

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By APD writer Maverick

**ISLAMABAD, Jan. 15 (APD) -- **The United States’ Acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells on Monday acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in the war against terrorism and conveyed the U.S. desire to work with Pakistan in advancing the common objective of stabilizing Afghanistan, Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

Wells is in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other senior officials from the U.S. National Security Council for a scheduled dialogue on bilateral and regional cooperation.

She argued that, as an immediate neighbor and important country of the region, Pakistan’s support was critical to the success of US strategy in Afghanistan. Wells also underlined the need for strengthening intelligence cooperation between the two sides to improve coordination in counter-terrorism efforts.

This is the first visit by any high ranked U.S. official to Islamabad after Donald Trump’s criticism of Pakistan on Jan. 1, 2018.

The Pak-US relation went low at the start of the year 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Pakistan and subsequently withholding 255 million U.S. dollars in military aid.

During a meeting with the visiting U.S. officials, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua underscored that the relationship with the United States needed to move forward in an environment of mutual trust and respect.

The US delegation was apprised about recent counter-terrorism actions taken by Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies, which have contributed to “a visible improvement in the security situation of Pakistan. The comprehensive counter-terrorism actions would also contribute towards peace and stability in the entire region."

In the context of the regional situation, Pakistan’s foreign secretary expressed concerns on the continued use of Afghan soil by elements hostile to Pakistan’s stability.

She added that strengthening border management mechanisms between Pakistan and Afghanistan is vital to addressing concerns relating to cross-border movements.

The Pakistani official reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continue its efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.

The two sides agreed that all initiatives owned and led by the Afghans for seeking a peaceful solution should be supported by regional countries.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)