US move to boost strategic alliance

Islamabad: The United States and Pakistan concluded a third round of their bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington Monday, renewing commitment to working together to combat terrorism and violent extremism, a joint statement said.

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmoud Qureshi led the Pakistani delegation while Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte led the US delegation at the deliberations held at the state department.

The last round of the strategic dialogue was held in Islamabad in September last year.

Modernisation

The statement said the US reaffirmed its commitment to providing Pakistan with the training and equipment it needed to fight terrorism.

It said the two countries would expand security cooperation and also work jointly to develop and modernise Pakistan's federally administered tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a wide-ranging and long-term strategic partnership, based on shared values and a common effort.

They emphasised that terrorism and violent extremism "pose a common threat to Pakistan, the United States, and the international community."

The United States affirmed its support for Pakistan's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, the statement said.