US says will work to improve Pakistan ties, counterterror cooperation

WASHINGTON: The United States will continue to work towards improvement in counter-terror cooperation and bilateral relationship with Pakistan, the State Department said.

"We continue to cooperate with Pakistan on counterterrorism and to try to work together as closely as we can," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.

She was asked to assesss the level of US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation since May 2 unilateral American raid on Osama bin Laden hideout in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, which took out the al-Qaeda chief but gave rise to doubts in Pakistan about the nature of relationship.

The spokesperson cited post-May 2 visits by senior American officials to Islamabad, saying these were aimed at improving the relationship.

"You saw all the visits that we have had to improve this relationship and strengthen it, from the Secretary's visit, Admiral Mullen's visit, to all of the working groups that we've had. So our efforts continue and we're going to keep working at it."

On security situation in Afghanistan - where recent violence has heightened sense of insecurity - Nuland noted the US and its allies are working to build Afghan forces so that they can assume responsibility for safety of people in their country.

"The United States maintains a large military footprint working with our Afghan partners, our international partners. As we seek to draw that down heading towards 2014, we are also seeking to build up Afghan capacity, both military and police, so that the security situation will enable strong development efforts and strong political and economic strengthening. That's our goal."

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011