The United States and Pakistan will hold their first strategic dialogue at the ministerial level in Washington DC on March 24, it was announced here. The talks will be co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
According to a release, the main topics of discussion will be economic development, water and energy, education, communications and public diplomacy, agriculture, and security.
Additionally, deputy spokesman at the State Department Mark Toner, said: “Obviously, we're talking about … Afghanistan, the situation there, the spill-over into the FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] and how to really better engage. And in fact, we've seen some successes on that front in recent weeks on terrorism.”
The State Department confirmed that both governments will come to the table to discuss issues of common concern and shared responsibility.
