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Clinton offers aid, seeks stronger Pakistan ties
Source: Agencies |
July 19, 2010, Monday
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced more than US$500 million in new aid projects for Pakistan today, which Washington hopes will help win over a sceptical public in an ally vital to winning the war in neighboring Afghanistan.
Clinton is in Islamabad for two days as part of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, a series of talks aimed at strengthening the relationship between the wary allies in the struggle against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
"We know that there is some questioning, even suspicion, about what the United States is doing today and I can only respond by saying that very clearly we have a commitment that is much broader and deeper than it has ever been," she told a joint news conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"We have moved beyond a standoff of our misunderstandings that were allowed to fester and not addressed ... to a position where we're engaged in the most open dialogue that I think our two countries have ever had."
Clinton will later fly on to Kabul for an international conference as the US-led war in Afghanistan runs into mounting doubt in the US Congress.
She announced a string of new projects -- including dams, power generation, agricultural development and hospital construction -- funded under US legislation passed last year tripling civilian aid to US$7.5 billion over the next five years.
The projects, the first to be launched under a new aid plan, are seen as crucial to shoring up support for the US-led struggle against militant extremists in a country where opinion polls show under one in five view the United States favourably.
"The opinion of the United States will change when the people of Pakistan see that their lives have changed," Qureshi said.
Pakistan also wants enhanced market access, strengthening of its resources to take up the anti-terror fight and "non-discriminatory access" to energy and other technology.
The latter two requests are long-standing Pakistani desires for more military equipment and a civilian nuclear deal such as the one between India and the United States.
Pakistan is also seeking a nuclear deal with China. The United States is uneasy over the deal. Qureshi said all international concerns would be addressed.
The Pakistan and Afghan commerce ministers signed a trade deal during her visit that the United States also hopes will help boost cooperation between the countries.
Clinton is in Islamabad for two days as part of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, a series of talks aimed at strengthening the relationship between the wary allies in the struggle against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
"We know that there is some questioning, even suspicion, about what the United States is doing today and I can only respond by saying that very clearly we have a commitment that is much broader and deeper than it has ever been," she told a joint news conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"We have moved beyond a standoff of our misunderstandings that were allowed to fester and not addressed ... to a position where we're engaged in the most open dialogue that I think our two countries have ever had."
Clinton will later fly on to Kabul for an international conference as the US-led war in Afghanistan runs into mounting doubt in the US Congress.
She announced a string of new projects -- including dams, power generation, agricultural development and hospital construction -- funded under US legislation passed last year tripling civilian aid to US$7.5 billion over the next five years.
The projects, the first to be launched under a new aid plan, are seen as crucial to shoring up support for the US-led struggle against militant extremists in a country where opinion polls show under one in five view the United States favourably.
"The opinion of the United States will change when the people of Pakistan see that their lives have changed," Qureshi said.
Pakistan also wants enhanced market access, strengthening of its resources to take up the anti-terror fight and "non-discriminatory access" to energy and other technology.
The latter two requests are long-standing Pakistani desires for more military equipment and a civilian nuclear deal such as the one between India and the United States.
Pakistan is also seeking a nuclear deal with China. The United States is uneasy over the deal. Qureshi said all international concerns would be addressed.
The Pakistan and Afghan commerce ministers signed a trade deal during her visit that the United States also hopes will help boost cooperation between the countries.
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