Restoring ties: Pakistan likely to get P3C Orion aircraft from US this year

Ambassador Sherry Rehman says defence cooperation between the two sides gaining momentum.

WASHINGTON:

Pakistan is expected to receive maritime surveillance P3C Orion aircraft from the United States this year in an indication of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman, who has been meeting top American officials as part of efforts to restore the full range of bilateral ties, said both the civil and defence cooperation is gaining momentum.

At a meeting with visiting Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Muhammad Shafique, Ambassador Rehman discussed matters related to ongoing cooperation between the Pakistani and American navies.



She said the Pakistan Navy’s key role in securing sea lanes in the North Arabian Sea as part of the anti-piracy international coalition has been widely appreciated in the United States.

As a result of some hectic diplomacy, Washington and Islamabad have come out of a difficult phase in bilateral ties since early 2011, following a series of high-level meetings and trust-building measures.

The US recently made long-delayed Coalition Support Fund reimbursements and both countries have resumed working at different levels of cooperation through regular forums of institutionalised dialogues and working groups. The vice admiral briefed the ambassador about contributions made by the Pakistan Navy towards multilateral efforts for strengthening maritime security and counter piracy operations.

He also thanked Ambassador Rehman for her leadership in reinvigorating the Pakistan-US defence partnership. He hoped the P3C maritime aircraft would depart from the United States soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2013.