Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Pakistan for talks with the country’s government in an effort to improve relations with the nuclear-armed state.
The visit aims to ease tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan over the Obama administration’s drone strikes, according to Reuters.
“We will discuss with the Pakistanis counter-terrorism, cross-border militancy, the economic agenda and how we can continue to partner in terms of promoting a secure and stable Afghanistan,” said a top U.S. official.
Kerry (pictured left with Dr. Sohail Khan, Pakistan's Director General for the Americas) will reportedly urge Pakistan’s government to work against militant havens in its territory. They are also expected discuss ways to renew talks with the Taliban and methods to stabilize Afghanistan, a neighbor of Pakistan, as the U.S. prepares to withdraw its troops next year.
Ways to combat groups such as the Haqqani network, which frequently attacks U.S. troops in Afghanistan, are of special concern.
“Safe havens for extremist groups clearly threaten our interests, our allies in the region and most of all [Pakistan Prime Minister] Nawaz Sharif's own ability to execute his reform agenda and provide greater economic stability,” said the U.S. senior official.
Some are skeptical of any possible improvements in the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan.
“One has to keep expectations low for any dramatic improvement in the U.S.-Pakistani relationship,” said Karl Inderfurth, who has served as assistant secretary of state for South Asia and is now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, according to Bloomberg.
“We have been in a very deep hole for a long time. At end of the day, we can’t live with them and we can’t live without them. That’s true on both sides.”
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