US, Pakistan resetting ties in changing world: Maleeha

Monitoring Desk

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Ambassador to United Nations has said that Pakistan and the United States are in the process of resetting their ties amid changing the world order and regional environment.

Maleeha Lodhi said this while addressing to a gathering of American foreign policy experts, academics and businessmen at New York She said that better and improved relation between Islamabad and Washington are very important for the global and regional peace.

She added that the relationship among the two countries will be determined by the terms of such re-engagement and establishing the relationship both on one level.

Robin Raphel, a former US Assistant Secretary of State, who last served as coordinator for non-military assistance to Pakistan said to the gathering that despite ups and downs in their relationship, US, cannot ignore Pakistan because of its strength and status in the world.

Former ambassador noted Pakistan now feels more confident of itself because of its burgeoning relationship with China, and growing ties with Russia. Still, she said that Pakistan needs the US.

Raphel underscored the need for US and Pakistan to collaborate in an effort to promote a settlement to end the war in Afghanistan. As a diplomat, she regretted that the overall efforts to deal with the Afghan war were more focused on a military solution rather than through a diplomatic process.