US defence secretary to visit Pakistan on new US strategy talks
Shares
ISLAMABAD - United States (US) Defence Secretary James Mattis will arrive in Pakistan for a one-day visit on Monday for talks on the in new US strategy, which seeks Pakistan’s support for defeating the Taliban.
The visit will be part of Mattis's trip to three other countries this week, which he is undertaking to "re-affirm the enduring US commitment to partnerships in the Middle East, West Africa and South Asia", a press release issued by the US Department of Defence said.
According to the statement, Mattis will meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during his day-long trip.
The Pentagon’s Joint Staff Director Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie told a news briefing earlier this month that the US has completed additional deployments in Afghanistan by adding 3,000 troops to its existing strength and is ready to conduct joint combat missions with official Afghan forces.
The US now has a total of 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and expects 2,000 additional troops from its Nato allies.