WASHINGTON – During a Congressional hearing of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee, Commander of the US Central Command General Joseph Votel toldthe lawmakers that Pakistan has taken positive steps to assist Special USRepresentative of Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in facilitating talks withthe Taliban.
We look to regional actors such as Pakistan to play constructive roles inachieving peace in Afghanistan as well as the whole of South Asia,” GenVotel said.
“With our strategic focus on reconciliation and regional security, Pakistanhas a unique opportunity to make good on its promises of support to USefforts focused on finding a negotiated settlement to the Afghanistanconflict,” the US Commander said.
He said that if Pakistan plays a positive role in achieving a settlement tothe conflict in Afghanistan, “the US will have opportunity and motive tohelp Pakistan fulfil that role, as peace in the region is the mostimportant mutual priority for the US and Pakistan”.
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Pakistan, Votel said presents the US with challenges and opportunities inthe execution of its South Asia Strategy.
As a state possessing nuclear weapons that sits at the nexus of Russian,Chinese, Indian, Iranian, and US geopolitical interests, Pakistan willalways be a country of importance to the US, he noted.
