Afghan situation: Pak, US NSAs agree to sustain bilateral cooperation

Second meeting since May, Moeed says he 'took stock of progress made since Geneva meeting'

National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan discussed the ‘urgent need for a reduction in violence in Afghanistan’ and agreed to ‘sustain the momentum in Pak-US bilateral cooperation’ during a meeting in Washington on Thursday.

NSA Moeed left for a crucial visit to the United States on July 26 as part of efforts by Pakistan to reset the fragile relationship with Washington. DG ISI Lt General Faiz Hameed is also accompanying the NSA during the official trip.

This was their second meeting after Geneva in May, where Moeed shared Pakistan’s “blueprint” seeking broad-based cooperation with the US.

In a tweet, Moeed said he had a ‘positive follow-up meeting’ with Sullivan and took ‘stock of progress made since our Geneva meeting and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest’.

 

Had a positive follow-up meeting with NSA @JakeSullivan46 today in Washington. Took stock of progress made since our Geneva meeting & discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. Agreed to sustain the momentum in Pak-US bilateral cooperation.

— Moeed W. Yusuf (@YusufMoeed) July 30, 2021

Sullivan remarked that during the meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, regional connectivity and security, and other areas of mutual cooperation were discussed along with a need for a ‘negotiated political settlement to the conflict’ in Afghanistan.

Insecurity has been growing in Afghanistan in recent weeks, largely spurred by fighting in its provinces as US-led foreign troops complete their withdrawal and the Taliban launch major offensives, taking districts and border crossings.

Earlier, a senior US general had said that the Taliban control about half of Afghanistan's district centres, indicating a rapidly deteriorating security situation.

I met with Pakistan’s NSA today to consult on regional connectivity and security, and other areas of mutual cooperation. We discussed the urgent need for a reduction in violence in Afghanistan and a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) July 30, 2021

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The NSA’s visit was part of high-level bilateral engagements between the two countries, which were agreed between him and his counterpart Sullivan in their last meeting in Geneva.

Relations between Pakistan and the US have remained transactional but Islamabad has been pushing for ties that go beyond security and Afghanistan.

However, the US administration has not yet given a positive response to Pakistan’s efforts as President Biden has not even spoken to Prime Minister Imran khan.