Washington: Noting that the core goal of
the United States in Af-Pak region is to defeat al Qaeda and
its extremist allies, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said
that Afghanistan and Pakistan must be better able to secure
their territory from these extremists.
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"The core goal of the US in the region is to disrupt,
dismantle and ultimately defeat al Qaeda and its extremist
allies and to prevent their return to either of the countries.
This is a goal we share with Afghanistan, with Pakistan and
with the international community," she said in her address to
the Brookings Institute yesterday.
"To effectively squeeze the extremists fighting to
destabilise both countries, the Afghan and Pakistani
governments must be better able to secure their territory from
these extremists and meet the basic needs of their
populations," Hillary Clinton said.
The recent Afghan elections illustrate the promise and
the challenges of Afghanistan. "Alongside our partners and the
United Nations, we will continue to encourage all parties to
respect the international and Afghan electoral institutions
charged with determining the final outcome of the election
process," she said.
"When the next president is inaugurated, we will work to
step up the level of international engagement and expectation
with that new government, in a strong partnership, to
strengthen governance at all levels," the Secretary of State
said.
On the United Nation`s role, Hillary Clinton hoped that "the
organisation does not have to be just a diplomatic talk shop.
At its best, it can be an institution that brings the world`s
nations together to solve global problems through adherence to
rules and principles set forth in the UN Charter".
It is the responsibility of the 192 member nations,
during the General Assembly and beyond, to capitalise on the
opportunity for global cooperation and progress that the
United Nations affords, she added.
Bureau Report
