Obama's victory a vote for engagement and dialogue: Rehman

Islamabad, Nov 7 (PTI) Americans have backed an
international order that focuses on engagement and dialogue
for resolving global challenges by voting for President-elect
Barack Obama, a Pakistani minister said Friday.

Obama's victory is a triumph of multilateralism as an
international order and the U.S. polls have shown significant
changes in voters' preferences that reflect the future
President's vision for America's role vis-a-vis the rest of
the world, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.

"By voting for Mr Obama, Americans have placed a seal
of approval on an international order that puts primacy on
engagement and dialogue for resolving global challenges," she
said.

Rehman's comments came in the wake of Pakistan's call
for the U.S. to end missile strikes in its tribal areas and to
back efforts to engage the Taliban and other militant groups
in dialogue to end violence.

"We look forward to the opportunity of working with
the new U.S. administration that has positively reciprocated
to our desire for a partnership that works for world peace and
regional stability," said Rehman.

"Obama's victory is inspiring for proponents of
democracy and reinforces their firm belief in democracy's
power to bring about a definitive change in leadership and
policy through genuine participatory processes," she said in a
statement.

The President-elect's campaign slogan for change has
"created a new set of global expectations about the U.S.,
which will be a major challenge for its new administration.
Yet, it also presents an opportunity for bringing about
qualitative policy changes that can create enduring global
peace and economic security," she said.

Rehman also noted that Vice President-elect Joe Biden
was the architect of the Biden-Lugar legislation that commits
development aid of USD 15 billion to Pakistan over the next 10
years.

"This non-military aid signals a major shift in the
focus of U.S. assistance for Pakistan," she said. "It reflects
the newly elect U.S. administration's support for our
country's civilian democratic order, and an understanding of
the necessity of building solid foundations for the social and
economic development of Pakistan."

Rehman said Obama's election also gives Pakistan the
opportunity to re-energise its relations with the U.S., an
"important international ally".

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gillani too have expressed their desire to expand
Pakistan-U.S. relations that incorporate "stronger support
structures". PTI RHL
DEP