Obama Administration’s Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia has said that both India and Pakistan want a stable and secure Afghanistan and praised New Delhi’s role in development of the war-torn country.
“India, Pakistan and all the countries in the region want more than anything is a stable and secure Afghanistan. That is the point of convergence for all the countries in the region, and we think that is the point for constructive engagement with all the countries in the region. That has been our effort and our policy,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal said.
“We have had a very close dialogue and cooperation with India, with respect to the transition in Afghanistan. We have a trilateral conversation between the United States, India and Afghanistan,” she said in her interaction with journalists.
“India has played a very important role and continues to play a very important role and is providing over $2 billion in economic investment, training and infrastructure. We see that as a positive role that will continue moving forward,” she said.
Ms. Biswal said the United States is not leaving the region and is there for a long term presence.
“Let me just say that I think that the United States’ engagement to the region, as I noted at the outset, is an enduring one, and we will continue to support the economic development and prosperity of this region,” she said.
“I think that we have continued to provide development and economic assistance and technical support to all the countries of the region, and we are committed to that as we move forward,” she said.
