US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with his Pakistani counterpart Moeed Yusuf in Washington on Thursday and discussed issues regarding regional security, including the urgent need for a negotiated political settlement to the Afghan conflict.
This meeting between the two NSAs holds significance in the backdrop of mounting violence in Afghanistan. Despite the fast-approaching August deadline of US and NATO troops' withdrawal, the negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban are not moving forward.
Sullivan in a Twitter post informed that both sides discussed the urgent need for a reduction in violence in Afghanistan and other areas of mutual cooperation.
"I met with Pakistan's NSA today to consult on regional connectivity and security, and other areas of mutual cooperation. We discussed the urgent need for a reduction in violence in Afghanistan and a negotiated political settlement to the conflict," Sullivan tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan NSA said that they both took stock of progress made since their last meeting in Geneva and agreed to sustain the momentum in Pak-US bilateral cooperation.
"Had a positive follow-up meeting with NSA @JakeSullivan46 today in Washington. Took stock of progress made since our Geneva meeting & discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. Agreed to sustain the momentum in Pak-US bilateral cooperation," Moeed W. Yusuf tweeted.
Back in May, Sullivan had met with Yusuf in Geneva and discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.
"The National Security Advisors of the United States and Pakistan met in Geneva yesterday (May 23). Both sides discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and discussed ways to advance practical cooperation. Both sides agreed to continue to the conversation," the National Security Council (NSC) Spokesperson Emily Horne had said in a statement.
( With inputs from ANI )
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