US looks forward to cement partnership with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – US President Joe Biden felicitated President Arif Alvi on the Pakistan Day, saying that his administration looked forward to strengthening partnership with Pakistan. “Pakistan has long been a close partner of the United States, and it is my great honour to congratulate you and the Pakistani people on your National Day this March 23,” Biden wrote in a letter addressed to President Alvi.

The US president said the partnership between the United States and Pakistan was “rooted in shared goals for regional peace and prosperity.”

“Through our partnerships”, he said, “we will continue to address common challenges, particularly in regard to our efforts to end the conflict in Afghanistan, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing climate change.”

“We look forward to strengthening our partnership in the year ahead,” Biden said. The US president also extended his best wishes to the people of Pakistan.

Earlier, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated Washington’s “commitment to maintaining strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan.” The Pentagon chief renewed the commitment in a phone call with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday (March 21).

“Secretary Austin reinforced the United States’ commitment to maintaining a strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan and expressed gratitude for Islamabad’s continued support for the Afghan peace process,” said a press release issued by the Department of Defense.

In the phone call, the US defence chief noted that he looks forward to “further cooperation” between the two countries in areas of common interest.

The phone call came just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Afghan Taliban and Austin’s unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Sunday.

Kabul was the last stop on a whirlwind tour of Asia for the new Pentagon chief, a former career soldier who served in Afghanistan as a division commander from September 2003 until August 2005. Austin and his entourage flew into Afghanistan on a US-liveried aircraft instead of a military plane that usually carries US officials to the war-torn country. Details of his visit were kept under wraps for security reasons until after he left. Before Kabul, Austin had a series of meetings with Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi.