ISLAMABAD: Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday as Washington seeks to defuse tensions over controversial US drone strikes and Islamabad's role in Afghanistan.
In the first visit by a US defence secretary in nearly four years, Hagel flew from Kabul to Islamabad to meet the premier and the country's new army chief General Raheel Sharif.
After greeting Prime Minister Sharif at the start of their talks, Hagel said Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan had a "lot of common and mutual interests" and that he looked forward to discussing regional issues.
Hagel was in Pakistan "in recognition of the tremendous support that Pakistan has provided in the war on terror", a senior US defence official told reporters.
The defence secretary wanted "to deepen our defence partnership" and to affirm continued US military assistance, the official said.
"There is some friction in the relationship" and Hagel wished to tackle that "head on", he added.
The visit came as Hagel's deputies withdrew Sunday's statement that said NATO shipments out of Afghanistan through Pakistan were to resume due to the end of anti-drone protests.
Contractors were still concerned over anti-drone protests and the suspension had not been lifted, officials travelling with Hagel said.
US officials are also anxious to forge a constructive dialogue with the new army chief General Raheel Sharif, who is expected to be at the centre of decision making on sensitive security questions.
"Issues concerning defence relationship, Pak-US bilateral ties and regional stability came under discussion," the Pakistan military said after Hagel met the army chief, who last month succeeded General Ashfaq Kayani.
Hagel visited Pakistan after two days in Afghanistan, where he urged the country's president, Hamid Karzai, to sign a long-delayed security agreement that will allow NATO-led forces to stay in the country after 2014.
Hagel began his trip last week in Bahrain, seeking to reassure Gulf allies that the United States would retain a robust military presence in the region despite an interim nuclear deal with Iran.
After morning meetings in Pakistan, Hagel was due to travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where he was expected to renew his message of solidarity with the Gulf Arab states.
Comments
Comments are closed.