US officials, Pakistan army chief discuss Afghan reconciliation

Senior U.S. diplomats and defence officials met Pakistan army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and discussed matters of mutual interest with particular focus on Afghanistan reconciliation process, the military said.

The army statement said that both sides discussed ‘matters of mutual interest’ but did not give any more details about the talks.

The U.S. delegation comprised Ambassador David Pearce, Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Lieutenant General (Retired) Dagulas Lute, Special Assistant to the President on Afghanistan and Pakistan; Dr Peter Lavoy, Principal Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and Ambassador Richard Olson.

The visit comes at a time when relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are tense over the cross-border tension.

Two top US general also visited Pakistan this month and discussed mainly Afghanistan.

Sources say that the talks are also aimed at removing differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan and ways to work for the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

The State Department said ahead of the visit, that In Islamabad, Ambassador Pearce will hold meetings with senior Government of Pakistan officials to discuss ways in which United States and Pakistan can continue to work together to advance “our bilateral goals and affirm how both our countries can contribute to a secure, stable, and prosperous future for the region”.

Ambassador David Pearce, who arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, on the first leg of his six-day visit, which will also take him to Kabul, Brussels, and Almaty.

In Kabul, Ambassador Pearce will meet with Afghan leaders to discuss continued support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process as the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the broader region, the State Department said on its website.

They will also discuss Afghanistan’s elections, bilateral security cooperation, and other issues related to the Strategic Partnership Agreement, it said.

From Kabul, Ambassador Pearce will travel to Brussels from April 23-24 to accompany Secretary Kerry for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and have other bilateral meetings. Please click here for further information.

Ambassador Pearce will then travel to Almaty on April 25 to accompany Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns as part of the U.S. delegation to the “Heart of Asia” Conference. Please click here for additional information about this conference.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Apr 21 2013. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.