Foreign Minister Shah Mehmoodd Qureshi and US National Security Adviser John Bolton agreed during a meeting at the White House on Tuesday that continued cooperation between Pakistan and the United States would be in the interest of regional peace and security in South Asia.

The Foreign Minister separately met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department and discussed Pakistan-US bilateral ties and regional situation in South Asia, issues, including Afghanistan.

During meeting with Ambassador Bolton, Foreign Minister Qureshi shared Pakistan’s perspective on regional and global issues.

In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India’s aggressive posturing in the region. After initially agreeing to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s peace initiative, the government in India had caved into internal politics.

The Minister underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

On Afghanistan, the Minister reiterated Pakistan’s long held position that there was no military solution in Afghanistan.

He said that Pakistan would continue to support the efforts for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
Welcoming the renewed US focus on achieving a political resolution in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister underscored that Pakistan regarded peace and stability in Afghanistan as vital for its own long-term stability and progress.

Referring to Pakistan’s continued efforts to positively engage the National Unity Government in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister underlined that the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) provided the most effective mechanism to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between both countries.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Qureshi also met US Senators Cory Booker and Lindsey Graham and exchanged views on the bilateral relations and the regional situation in South Asia.