US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would co-chair the first US-Pak Strategic Dialogue to be held in Washington on March 24.Top officials from both the countries are expected to attend the meeting, prominent among them include National Security Advisor General (retired) James Jones, Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Inter-Services Intelligence Chief Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha.
"The Strategic Dialogue is an important recurring bilateral engagement that is co-hosted by the Secretary of State and the Pakistani Foreign Minister, alternating between capitals," White House spokesman Mike Hammer told PTI."It is one of the many ways that we regularly engage with Pakistan, a key ally in the shared fight against Al Qaeda and its extremist allies," Hammer said.Beyond security issues, the Strategic Dialogue will also likely include discussion of issues pertaining to development assistance, economic stability, energy needs, and natural resources, he said.
In a statement, the State Department said that US President Barack Obama and Clinton have repeatedly stressed the breadth and depth of the US-Pakistan relationship, a partnership that goes far beyond security. "The Strategic Dialogue represents the shared commitment of both nations to a strengthening the bilateral relationship and building an even broader partnership based on mutual respect and mutual trust," it said.
