Despite Delhi bonhomie, US clarifies Pak is still a key ally
31 Jan 2015
Dashing Indian hopes generated during President Barak Obama's Delhi visit that the US would finally distance itself from Pakistan as a hotbed of terrorism, Washington made it clear on Friday that Pakistan remains as important an ally as ever in America's geopolitical view.
Allaying Pakistani fears over the India-US nuclear deal reached during President Obama's visit, the US has said it is simply an understanding on implementing the stalled nuclear deal.
"It's an understanding on an administrative arrangement for implementing the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told when asked about Islamabad's critical comments on the deal.
"There are a range of requirements in these types of deals, and certainly, we factor in a range of factors as we make them."
However, she declined to share "more details to discuss publicly".
Psaki said the United States has strong relationships with both Pakistan and India and going forward Washington would continue to have a close strategic partnership with Islamabad.
''We have assured both countries that the United States' relationship with India and United States relationship with Pakistan, those relationships are strong, they are vital for our strategic interest, and they stand on their own,'' Psaki said at the daily briefing.
''We work with Pakistan on a range of issues. We work with India on a range of issues,'' she added, when asked about Washington's ties in South Asia.
''We certainly have reiterated our strong commitment to strategic relationship with Pakistan. As you know, secretary of state John Kerry was there [in Islamabad] just a couple of weeks ago, visiting and reiterating our commitment.''
The spokesperson echoed Washington's call for the two South Asian nuclear countries to enter into dialogue for peaceful resolution to issues. ''We encourage dialogue between India and Pakistan,'' and obviously the scope and scale of the process is for the two countries to determine, she said.
