Islamabad: Pakistan would adopt a
realistic and pragmatic approach during its key strategic
dialogue with US next week, which will seek to strengthen law
enforcement agencies amid increasing terrorist attacks in the
country, the Prime Minister said Saturday.
During a meeting with Anne W. Patterson, US Ambassador
to Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed the hope that the
Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue in Washington would be
successful in achieving the concrete results.
Gilani said his country would adopt a realistic and
pragmatic approach during the talks. He would like to follow
up on the discussions in Washington through concerted efforts
by both sides, according to a release by the Prime Minister's
office.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi and his American
counterpart Hillary Clinton would co-chair the day-long
meeting on March 24. Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is part
of Pakistani delegation, which will also include ISI boss
Shuja Pasha.
Gilani identified power generation, water
conservation, education, strengthening of the capacity of
Pakistan?s law enforcement agencies through training as key
areas where progress could be made during the talks.
Issues linked to fast tracking of the economic
assistance committed through Kerry-Lugar Bill and under CSF
and foreign military funding would also be discussed.
Gilani told the US envoy that he was looking forward
to his meeting with President Obama on the sidelines of
Nuclear Security Summit in April in Washington.
Patterson told Gilani that the US side has not had
this level of strategic dialogue with any other country and
hence was undertaking every possible measures to make it a
success.
They also discussed bilateral issues and the regional
developments. They also expressed their satisfaction on
deepening bilateral cooperation in the anti-terrorism
campaign, the release said.
The Pakistani delegation will also include Minister of
Defence Ahmed Mukhtar and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir
among others. Led by Secretary of State Clinton, the US team
will include Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and Patterson.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 22:45