WASHINGTON: The United States has said that its relationship with Pakistan is strong and vital for its strategic interests, and that it will continue to have a close strategic partnership with Islamabad.
Earlier this week, during the US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the leadership of the two countries reached an agreement to break the deadlock that had been stalling a US-India civilian nuclear deal signed in 2008.
However, Pakistan expressed serious concern and warned that operationalization of Indo-US nuclear deal will upset the strategic balance in South Asia.
In a statement about the Indo-US nuclear deal, the prime minister’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs said that Pakistan values its relations with the US and expects it to play a constructive role for strategic stability and balance in South Asia.
“We’ve assured both countries is that the United States relationship with India and the United States – sorry – relationship with Pakistan – that was a mouthful for some reason – those relationships are strong, they’re vital to our strategic interests, and they stand on their own. And we work with Pakistan on a range of issues. We work with India on a range of issues,” the US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said at her daily press briefing in Washington when asked to comment on the issue.
“This particular issue is one that’s been ongoing with India for some time, but we certainly have reiterated our strong commitment to our strategic relationship with Pakistan,” Psaki said.
Psaki also said while speaking in the backdrop of continued Pakistan-India tension and shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, that the two countries should enter into a dialogue for peaceful resolution of their issues.
