WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday briefed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about his trips to Iran and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s efforts to help deffuse the ongoing tensions in the region.
He also shared overview of Pakistan's facilitating role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, as well as highlighted India’s brutal and suffocating lockdown of nearly 9 million innocent Kashmiris and the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He also emphasised upon the leading role US could play to impress upon India to reverse its illegal actions of August 5 and to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir conflict through dialogue with Pakistan, according to a statement sent out by the Pakistani Embassy here.
Qureshi told his counterpart that Pakistan desires to have strong bilateral ties with the United States. The FM on Thursday met Under Secretary of Defence John Rood where various aspects of Pakistan-US defence cooperation as well as the evolving regional situation were discussed. The under secretary briefed the foreign minister about the ongoing defence related cooperation between the two countries. Qureshi highlighted that defence and security cooperation have been one of the defining features of bilateral relation between the two countries. He said that the US decision to revive International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme for Pakistan had significant symbolic value and was a welcome first step in further reviving bilateral military cooperation.
He also informed theunder secretary about his recent visits to the regional countries to diffuse tensions and underscored the need for de-escalation and dialogue. He stated that Pakistan remained deeply concerned about the prospects of any instability in its neighborhood and remained ready to play its due role in finding peaceful solution to the tensions between US and Iran.
Qureshi had a separate meeting with senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Capitol Hill. Both leaders discussed bilateral relations and the regional situation. The foreign minister said that the two sides needed to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture and investment in order to translate Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Donald Trump’s vision for a broad-based, long-term relationship into reality.
According to a statement by the Pakistani Embassy, Senator Graham agreed with the foreign minister that sustained and high-level engagement between Pakistan and the United States were to the two countries’ mutual advantage.
He assured the foreign minister of his personal support for increasing bilateral trade and enhancing cooperation in the agriculture sector. He reiterated the importance of working towards a Free Trade Agreement to realise the two leaderships’ vision for more robust trade and economic engagement between the two countries.
Lauding Pakistan leadership’s vision for peace in the region at large, Senator Graham appreciated Pakistan’s role in facilitating the political reconciliation process in Afghanistan, the statement said, adding that Qureshi expressed concern about the prevailing tensions in the Middle East. Referring to his recent visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia and telephone conversations with foreign ministers of other regional countries, the foreign minister said that Pakistan was actively playing its role in support of efforts for de-escalation and resolution of the issue through diplomacy for peace in the region.
Earlier, the Pakistan Caucus of the United States Congress hosted the foreign minister, which was attended by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair, Congressional Pakistan Caucus, Congressman Thomas Suozzi Democratic Co-Chair and Congressman Jim Banks, Republican Co-Chairof the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, as well as other members of the Caucus.
The meeting was also joined by Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the House sub-Committee on Asia.
During the interaction, Qureshi underscored that Pakistan has always valued its partnership with the United States. Since the US Congress is one of the pillars of the American political system, the foreign minister appreciated the Caucus for its role within the US Congress in further improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States, which were already on an upward positive trajectory over the last year.
He also briefed the Caucus about government of Pakistan’s vision for socio-economic progress and human development in the country as well as Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace and prosperity including in facilitating peace in Afghanistan and defeating terrorism in the region.
He emphasised the significance of further strengthening people-to-people and inter-parliamentary linkages between the United States and Pakistan and urged the Caucus members to play their due role in this regard.