WASHINGTON, MARCH 24
Apparently hinting at a nuclear deal, Pakistan today sought access to vital energy resources in a “non-discriminatory” manner from the US, which promised to help Islamabad in meeting its “urgent energy needs”.
Opening the first US-Pak strategic dialogue here with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also harped on the Kashmir issue asking the US to “constructively engage” in the process of its peaceful resolution with India.
Qureshi, who is leading the Pakistani delegation that also includes Army Chief Gen Kayani, also sought “non-discriminatory” access to vital energy resources.
“We hope non-discriminatory access to vital energy resources will also be made available to us, so that we too can pursue our economic and industrial development plans,” Qureshi said.
In her remarks, Clinton said she would help Pakistan in all issues, including meeting “urgent energy needs.”
Pakistan has been demanding a nuclear deal with the US similar to the one Washington has with India. But, the US has been taking the demand coolly due to proliferation concerns.
However, in the run up to the talks, the US has been indicating that it would consider the demand for a nuclear cooperation.
Bringing the issue of Kashmir, Qureshi said “Pakistan will continue to seek a peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes in South Asia including Kashmir. We hope the United States will maintain its constructive engagement to encourage this process.”
The Pakistani Foreign Minister pledged support for action against extremism but also said that Pakistan had key wishes from the United States.
“Pakistan is committed to doing its part to facilitate the world community’s effort for peace and stability in Afghanistan. We hope the world community will be equally responsive to our legitimate concerns and help advance common interests,” he said.
Clinton said she wanted to speak directly to the people of Pakistan and acknowledged that the two nations “have had our misunderstandings and disagreements in the past.”
“There are sure to be more disagreements in the future, as there are between any friends or, frankly, any family members… But this is a new day. For the past year, the Obama administration has shown in our words and deeds a different approach and attitude toward Pakistan,” Clinton, who was seen effusively clapping at the end of Qureshi’s remarks, said.
As the US and Pakistan pledged to bridge their “trust deficit,” Qureshi also put on the platter a wish-list to address this.
The high-powered Pakistani delegation, which included Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, is understood to have sought “big ticket” military hardware that can bring the country’s military on par with that of India.
“Non-discriminatory access to energy” and America’s constructive engagement to encourage the process of “peaceful resolution” to all issues in South Asia including Kashmir were also among the issues.
The Obama Administration is expected to announce some signature civilian projects at the end of the two-days of strategic dialogue – being held for the first time – but as far as the issues raised by the Pakistani delegation is concerned there were no concrete assurances, neither on the civilian nuclear deal or mediation on Kashmir.
A day earlier, both Clinton and Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, had indicated that at best the US can encourage both countries to resolve their disputes bilaterally and ruled out mediation.
While Clinton assured that the Obama Administration would give priority to addressing the “kitchen table” issues of water and energy, there was however no clear assurance on the civilian nuclear deal issue.
Authoritative sources told PTI that even consideration of such an issue would depend on a lot of issues and could take years, as Pakistan first needs to convince the world in particular the US and its lawmakers the concerns they have about the nuclear non-proliferation issue.
As the delegations split into different working groups — Agriculture, Communications & Public Diplomacy, Defense & Security, Economic Development & Finance, Social Issues – it is believed that American officials raised the issue about continued suspicion in the US establishment that ISI continues to maintain some kind of link with terrorist outfits like the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Earlier in their opening remarks, Clinton and Qureshi noted the trust deficit and misunderstanding between the two countries, but vowed to start a new chapter in ties.
More such strategic meetings are to be held with the next one in Islamabad in six months time.
One of the significant aspects of the opening ceremony was the unique seating arrangement.
Unlike the pattern in such kind of bilateral talks, wherein both the delegations sit across the table separately, it was the intermingling of the seating arrangements that immediately caught the attention of the media present there.
Kayani, for instance, was seated in between Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Signalling new warmth in US-Pak ties, Clinton said Pakistan’s stability and strengthening its security was “important” for the US.
“Pakistan is close to my heart. Pakistan’s struggles are my struggles and I am committed to the success of this (strategic) dialogue,” she said.
Praising Islamabad’s recent offensive against Taliban and other insurgents, she said Pakistan “stands at the frontline of a struggle against violent extremism”.
Clinton admitted that “misperceptions and mistrust” had grown between the two countries and “some scepticism” remained on both sides, notwithstanding efforts to clear the air.
The Secretary of State made it clear that intense and sustained work would be required on a wide range of issues by top officials from both countries.
Noting that Pakistan was fighting a war whose outcome was critical to that country as well as having regional and global repercussions, she said”…so strengthening and advancing your security remains a key priority of our relationship.”
‘Talks not at India’s expense’
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PTI
WASHINGTON, MARCH 24
Suggesting that its strategic dialogues with various countries were not a zero-sum game, the US has stressed that its expanded relationship with India or Pakistan does not come at the expense of one or the other.
“We have spent a lot of time trying to convince all countries in the region that ultimately improved relations with the United States and with others in the region is in everyone’s interest,” State Department spokesman Philip J Crowley told reporters.
