VIENTIANE, Laos: The United States has assured Pakistan that it is ready to improve and expand its multi-dimensional partnership with Islamabad.
In a meeting between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz in Laos Capital Vientiane, Kerry appreciated Pakistan’s determined efforts to eliminate terrorist groups in its western tribal belt with considerable success.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Vientiane which concluded on Tuesday. As many as 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and 17 dialogue partners attended the ARF Ministerial Meeting.
During the meeting, John Kerry and Sartaj Aziz exchanged views on the regional situation with special reference to Afghanistan and agreed on the importance of promoting the Afghan-led reconciliation process during the meeting. They also reviewed Pakistan-US bilateral relations.
The US secretary of state said that he would like to visit Pakistan in the near future to review bilateral cooperation and discuss regional issues.
