Deputy Secretary Nides hails Pak-India talks

WASHINGTON: Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides in a phone call, on Tuesday, to Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh, welcomed the dialogue between India and Pakistan and expressed hope that it would continue.

According to a State Department official, Deputy Secretary Nides also discussed ongoing assistance and co-operation between Pakistan and the United States (US).

The Express Tribune has learned that the Deputy Secretary also briefed Hafeez Sheikh about the “new Silk Road vision” for understanding the flow of goods, ideas and people across South and Central Asia.

The Silk Road vision alludes to a speech made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a speech she gave in India on 20th July this year. In her speech, Secretary Clinton spoke about India’s relations with its neighbours and its role in the Asia Pacific region.

She also said, “A Pakistani businessman should be able to open a branch in Bangalore, an Afghan farmer should be able to sell pomegranates in Islamabad before he drives on to New Delhi or as Prime Minister Singh put it so beautifully, “I dream of a day, while retaining our respective identities, one can have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore, and dinner in Kabul. That is how my forefathers lived. That is how I want our grandchildren to live.”