President Barack Obama Friday vowed cooperation between United States and Pakistan for strategic stability in South Asia.
“We will continue to work with both India and Pakistan to promote strategic stability, combat terrorism, and advance regional economic integration in South and Central Asia,” said he while announcing his administration’s second National Security Strategy in Congress.
In an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s role for regional stability including peace efforts in Afghanistan, Obama said: “We will also work with the countries of the region, including Pakistan, to mitigate the threat from terrorism and to support a viable peace and reconciliation process to end the violence in Afghanistan and improve regional stability.”
On Afghanistan, he said, the United States has ended its combat mission and transitioned to a dramatically smaller force focused on the goal of a sovereign and stable partner in the war-torn country that is not a safe haven for international terrorists anymore.”
Commenting on partnership with India, Obama said, “We continue to strengthen our strategic and economic partnership with India. We support India’s role as a regional provider of security and its expanded participation in critical regional institutions.” (APP)