Pakistan has once again conveyed its principle stance to United States reiterating that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood received a telephone call from Ambassador Victoria Nuland – US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
During the telephonic conversation, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood Pakistan’s commitment to forging a broad-based and long-term bilateral relationship with the United States and remarked that structured engagement was key to the promotion of the two countries’ shared objectives of peace and development.
Addressing the issue of regional peace and stability, Sohail Mahmood reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Afghan peace process highlighting that ‘there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan’.
The Foreign Secretary underscored the urgency of accelerating intra-Afghan peace negotiations and the importance of a responsible withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, read the MoFA press-release.
It is important for the key regional and international stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to engage constructively towards achieving an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement, said Sohail Mahmood.
The Foreign Secretary also stressed upon the significance of enhancing economic, trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the United States.
Pakistan has made notable progress in improving the ease of doing business and promoting a more conducive environment for foreign investment in the country, he said.
The Foreign Secretary expressed gratitude to the US official for Untied States’ support to Pakistan regarding COVID-19.
The two officials agreed to maintain close coordination on all matters of common interest.