Addressing reporters at the daily press briefing at the White House, Carney, in response to a question on Pakistan’s upcoming parliamentary session on relations with the US, said that the United States’ message to Pakistan has not changed. “We consider that relationship very important, not least because of its importance to our national security interests. It is a complicated relationship that requires a lot of attention, and we give it that attention. And we will continue to work with Pakistan on our shared goals of eradicating the threat of terrorism in the region.”
The White House spokesperson added that co-operation with Pakistan had helped contribute to successes in the fight against al Qaeda, including “removing senior al Qaeda leadership from the battlefield.” He said that the US continues to work with Pakistan to pursue that agenda.
In response to a reporter’s questions about anger in Pakistan on drone strikes, Carney did not address the issue of drone strikes directly. However, he said, “We understand that there are challenges in the relationship. We work very closely with our Pakistani counterparts and we are very clear about what our objectives are in terms of American national security interests.”
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