Missed trip: John Kerry ‘very much’ wants to visit Pakistan, says State Dept
Kerry might not be able to visit Pakistan shortly: State Department.
US Secretary of State John Kerry. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
WASHINGTON:
The United States on Wednesday said Secretary of State John Kerry “very much” wants to visit Pakistan to engage with the government and civil society leaders on wide-ranging areas of cooperation.
The State Department said the Secretary looks forward to spending enough time in Pakistan on the broad-ranging relationship.
“Secretary Kerry was not able to make it (to Pakistan) on this (continuing) trip (to Asia). He very much wants to go there and spend enough time, have appropriate window of time to spend in Pakistan (and) looks forward to it,” State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell, who is Director Office of Press Relations, said.
He was responding to a question about media reports that Secretary Kerry might not be able to visit Pakistan shortly. The spokesperson stressed that the top American diplomat “will go to Pakistan. We look for a date. I don’t have one to announce yet. But he looks forward to it.”
The spokesperson cited the visit of US Special Representative James Dobbins’ as continuation of high-level engagement with Islamabad.
Ventrell avoided adopting any stand on the issue of court cases against former Pakistani president and retired general Pervez Musharraf. When questioned about the US stance regarding the issue, he referred reporters to Pakistani officials for information and he said he had no position on the issue one way or another.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2013.
The United States on Wednesday said Secretary of State John Kerry “very much” wants to visit Pakistan to engage with the government and civil society leaders on wide-ranging areas of cooperation.
The State Department said the Secretary looks forward to spending enough time in Pakistan on the broad-ranging relationship.
“Secretary Kerry was not able to make it (to Pakistan) on this (continuing) trip (to Asia). He very much wants to go there and spend enough time, have appropriate window of time to spend in Pakistan (and) looks forward to it,” State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell, who is Director Office of Press Relations, said.
He was responding to a question about media reports that Secretary Kerry might not be able to visit Pakistan shortly. The spokesperson stressed that the top American diplomat “will go to Pakistan. We look for a date. I don’t have one to announce yet. But he looks forward to it.”
The spokesperson cited the visit of US Special Representative James Dobbins’ as continuation of high-level engagement with Islamabad.
Ventrell avoided adopting any stand on the issue of court cases against former Pakistani president and retired general Pervez Musharraf. When questioned about the US stance regarding the issue, he referred reporters to Pakistani officials for information and he said he had no position on the issue one way or another.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2013.