WASHINGTON (Staff Report) – US State Department spokesman Thursday said that announcement of Pakistan and India resuming dialogue to resolve all bilateral matters is highly encouraging and United States wants the two countries to reach a diplomatic solution to ‘thorny problem.
Talking to newsmen during daily briefing, John Kirby thanked Pakistan for hosting Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process ministerial meeting in Islamabad in order to highlight the crisis in Afghanistan and need of regional cooperation.
Referring to Wednesday’s Taliban attack on Kandahar airfield he said that United States still recongnises Taliban as a serious threat to the peace.
However he added that US government fully backs any Afghan-led reconciliation talks that the Afghan Government and President Ghani administer to resolve the conflict in the region.
The spokesman went on to say that US believes that an Afghan-led reconciliation process is the only way that leads to a safer, more secure Afghanistan.
“We have always wanted to see in Afghanistan: a safe, secure, prosperous Afghanistan that can defend itself and its citizens, and hence the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process talks in Islamabad are so important,” He stated.
On the occasion he also appreciated the Afghan National Security Forces who are now according to him able to defend their citizens and their own territory, their sovereignty.
