A 45-minute frank discussion between Vice President Mike Pence and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was ice-breaking as both sides decided to continue dialogue to address mutual concerns, Pakistani officials said Tuesday.
“It was a good meeting, ” Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua told reporters, after weeks of tough diplomacy on both sides that followed
President Donald Trump’s allegation that Islamabad allowed Afghan Taliban sanctuaries on its soil.
Trump made the allegation while unveiling his Administration’s new Afghan policy last month – a move which angered Islamabad, particularly because Washington advocated a greater role for India on Pakistan’s western border.
Pakistani diplomats said during the meeting, Prime Minister Abbasi expressed concern over the greater role that the new policy views for India.
Officials saw the strained relations coming “back on rails.”
Pence and Abbasi met at the UN headquarters on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the General Assembly, which President Trump addressed Tuesday morning.
According to Foreign Secretary Janjua, the United States would send a delegation to Pakistan in October to further talks on concerns around counterterrorism.
Speaking in front of cameras on top of the meeting, the U.S. Vice President welcomed the new Pakistani Prime Minister Abbasi on behalf of President Donald Trump.
The United States values its relationship with Pakistan and a long term partnership for for security in the region, Pence noted.
“We look forward to exploring ways so that we can work even more closely with Pakistan and with your government to advance security throughout the region,” Pence said.
Pakistan has rejected allegations contained in President Trump’s speech, saying “scapegoating Pakistan would not help bring stability to Afghanistan,” officials said.
Citing a national security committee’s reaction, officials say Pakistan has an abiding interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan and that Islamabad supports the idea of all Afghan owned and Afghan led initiatives for peace.
During the talks, Prime Minister Abbasi was assisted by Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Foreign Secretary Ms Tehmina Janjua and Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Aizaz Chaudhry and Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi.
Each side is reported to have openly stated their concerns vis-a-vis the situation in the region.
“Pakistan has been a long-standing partner and we intend to continue efforts to eliminate terrorism in the area.”
“We have made our contributions, we fought a very difficult war, we suffered casualties and have suffered economic losses and that is the message that we bring to the world,” the prime minister said.
“We are partners in the war against terrorism.”
Pakistan urged the United States to “understand and recognize its efforts, contributions and sacrifices of thousands of Pakistanis and over 120 billion US dollars of economic losses, officials said.
