ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi vowed to work closely with the new US President-elect Donald Trump.
“We will work closely with the administration,” Tariq Fatemi said in an interview with The Washington Times.
We believe that Mr Trump`s business background and strong interest in economic ties match the vision and policies of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, The Washington Times quoted Tariq Fatemi as saying in the interview published on Tuesday.
“After years of tension and inconsistency in bilateralties there is an element of normalcy and predictability within the relationship between Washington and Islamabad since Mr Sharif came to power three years ago,” he said. ”The volatility that plagued U- Pakistani relations under previous regimes in Pakistan has subsided.”
To successfully deal with the serious challenges facing Pakistan and the US in South Asia the Trump administratio must ensure that the relationship stay on an even keel and continue to progress gradually, he added.
To a question, Fatemi rejected reports of pending major weapons sales between Russia and Pakistan, but said Islamabad is exploring all options from all countries to arm its country`s military.
He said diplomatic outreach to Russia also is focused onburgeoning economic and political relationships.
Prime Minister Sharif` s goal is to establish mutually beneficial economic ties with all countries and now we are reaching out to Russia, he infomed.
Fatemi said as Prime Minister Sharif has introduced a plan to construct a major oil pipeline from Pakistan`s southern portcity of Karachi to Lahore, Islamabad was weighing Russian participation in the creation of that pipeline as well as power plant construction in the northernpart of the country.
He rejected reports that Pakistan s emerging military relationship with Russia was in response to India`s closer military ties with Washington, but he did warn that whatever or whenever America engages in these types of[actions] it has to bear in mind what kind of impact it will have on the region.
Virtually all our weapons systems are American made which is what we would want, Fatemi said.
He reitrated that Pakistan`s first preference would be to obtain weapons from the United States.
“We hope the administration will look at our request with an eye toward what those weapons systems can do in terms of promoting peace and stability in a difficult part of the world.”
