Joint Indo-Pak statement an important step: US

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 18 (PTI) The United States Saturday
said the joint statement issued by India and Pakistan,
following the meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two
nations on sidelines of NAM Summit at Sharm-el-Sheikh, is "an
important step towards the stability in the region".

"The meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh and the statement
between the Indian leader and the Pakistani leader in terms of
cooperation on terrorism (is) vitally important to stability
in the region," Assistant Secretary of State for Public
Affairs, Philip J Crowley, told reporters.

He said, the Obama Administration recognizes that it
was ultimately greater integration among the countries in the
region, working on common challenges, regional challenges,
finding new structures to be able to expand this cooperation.

"That will be how the region ultimately overcomes the
challenges that it's facing," Crowley said.

After the announcement of Af-Pak policy in late March,
he said the US has been engaged in diplomacy with the two
countries. Besides travelling to India now, US Secretary of
States Hillary Clinton would be visiting Pakistan later this
year.

The Special US Representative for Pakistan and
Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, will be departing Washington
early next week for stops in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, as
well as Brussels, Belgium, Crowley said.

"So I think in the first six months of the Obama
Administration, obviously, not only is the Secretary and the
President focused on these, but you have, through Richard
Holbrooke and others within the State Department, intensive
focus on the challenge in South Asia," he said.

"We recognize that it is ultimately greater
integration among these countries, working on common
challenges, regional challenges, finding new structures to be
able to expand this cooperation," Crowley said. PTI