US desires to work with Pakistan's new govt: Pompeo

Pak-US talks should continue for resolution of regional issues and joint interests of both countries

WASHINGTON (Dunya News) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday expressed his desire to work with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) government.

In a statement issued on Wednesday following a meeting between the US Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pompeo said that the US wishes to work with Islamabad.

He said that Pakistan can play an important role in the resolution of Afghan dispute, adding that the Afghan Taliban shouldn’t waste opportunity for dialogues.

The US Secretary of State went on to say that peace and stability in South Asia is in the interest of both Pakistan and the US.

Pak-US dialogues should continue for the resolution of regional issues and joint interests of both countries.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo at the State Department and discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

The foreign minister was assisted by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Ali Jehangir Siddiqui.

Qureshi, who was on an official visit to Washington at Secretary Pompeo’s invitation, said that close engagement between Pakistan and the United States had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries’ shared interests.

The minister highlighted the development-focused and people-centric agenda of the Government, which was contingent on peace and security in Pakistan’s neighborhood.

He noted that Pakistan and the US shared a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, noting that the use of force had failed to deliver results.

The foreign minister stressed that peace in South Asia, which was a common goal of both the United States and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved.

Welcoming Qureshi to the State Department, Secretary Pompeo had said Washington looked forward to working with the new government of Pakistan in implementing its reform agenda. He appreciated Pakistan’s support for political reconciliation in Afghanistan and its efforts for peace in the neighborhood.

Both sides agreed that the time was ripe for the Afghan Taliban to avail the opportunity for a political settlement by seizing the opportunity for dialogue.

The two leaders agreed to remain engaged with a view to achieving their shared bilateral and regional objectives.