ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that Pakistan took the decision of reopening ground lines of communication (GLOCs) for NATO supplies in the interest of regional peace and stability in accord with national interests. "Pakistan is ready to facilitate the transition process in Afghanistan as responsible member of the international community and a neighbour who stands to directly benefit depending upon how situation unfolds in that country," he added.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while talking to Cameron Munter, the outgoing US Ambassador to Pakistan, who paid a farewell call on him at the PM House Wednesday evening.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan supported Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process and extended its unstinted support to the international efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan. 'Despite our own economic constraints, the government has announced the financial assistance for Afghanistan to the tune of $20 million.
The Prime Minister said that despite recent challenges in the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US, it was matter of satisfaction that things were back on track, thanks to multi-layered engagements between Pakistani leadership and their American counterpart. "We need to look ahead and move forward in building durable and mutually beneficially partnership between both countries and their peoples based on mutual respect and mutual interest," he added.
The Prime Minister said that strategic partnership between Washington and Islamabad manifested the depth of bilateral relations. He said that Pakistan looked forward to more US cooperation in the fields of energy generation, infrastructure development, water management, agriculture and human development. He said that under the government's policy of 'trade not aid', the government hoped that the Obama administration would work with Congress on greater market access on preferential tariff.
The Prime Minister said that the country was a frontline state against war on terror and had suffered the losses more than any other country in the world. He said that Pakistan expected of the allies to also respect her redlines. He said that the government had taken effective measures on the counter-IED during last few months to control illegal flow of IEDs ingredients into Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the outgoing US Ambassador Cameron Munter in spearheading the Pakistan-US relations during challenging times. He expressed his best wishes for the Ambassador.
Speaking on the occasion, Cameron Munter thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for excellent hospitality extended to him during his stay in the country. The Ambassador said that the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was too vital to be left at the mercy of irritants. He said that he thoroughly enjoyed his stay in Pakistan and found the people hospitable and its culture beautiful and diverse. He said that he would use his good offices to encourage private investors to invest in the energy sector.