The US Department of State on Tuesday said Washington sought a strong partnership with Pakistan to counter global and regional terrorism and also has confidence in its ability to defend its nuclear assets.
Biden made the off-the-cuff remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear program Thursday while at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California where he began to discuss challenges facing President Xi Jinping of China, a close ally of Pakistan.
Following the Biden remarks, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel explained that “The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and, more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan. It has the ability to control its nuclear arsenal,“ he said.
During the regular press briefing on Wednesday, however, the spokesperson said few countries have suffered from terrorism like Pakistan and have a shared interest in combating threats to regional instability and regional security like the TTP.
“US seeks a strong partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism and expect sustained action against all militant and terrorist groups, and look forward to the cooperative efforts to eliminate all regional and global terrorist threats,” he added.
US seeks strong partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism
