Pakistan, US discuss cooperation in energy, health, law enforcement areas

WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States Thursday discussed strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, health, law enforcement, economic, women’s development at the State Department on the second day of the Strategic Dialogue.Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will conclude the dialogue on Friday.The Pakistani delegation includes Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Agriculture Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Adviser to Prime Minister on Social Issues Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, federal secretaries and senior officials.Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani are holding talks with US defense leaders on security cooperation at Pentagon.A high point came during the Pakistani delegation’s visi came when President Obama received the Pakistani delegation at the White House and reaffirming US commitment to Pakistan’s economic and democratic development, pledged to visit Pakistan in 2011.
“President Obama’s announcement to visit Pakistan in 2011 and invite President Zardari to Washington are very significant events” with regard to strengthening bilateral relations, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told a group of Pakistani journalists Thursday.The Obama Administration is helping both civilian government and the Pakistani army to grapple with flood recovery challlenge, Holbrooke said. – App