Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Tuesday, March 19th, 2024

Fighting Terrorism Dominates Tillerson, Swaraj Talks

Fighting Terrorism Dominates  Tillerson, Swaraj Talks

KABUL - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Wednesday and was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.
The US Secretary of State's visit to India is part of his six-day tour covering five nations including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Switzerland – however he also paid a secret visit to Afghanistan on Monday.
Combating terrorism and India's role in war-torn Afghanistan dominated talks between Tillerson and his Indian counterpart Wednesday as they discussed the new strategy for South Asia.
Speaking at a joint news briefing with Swaraj, Tillerson acknowledged "India's generous contributions to development in Afghanistan."
Swaraj meanwhile said India had agreed to hold talks on Afghanistan with Washington and Kabul.
Tillerson, who arrived in New Delhi after first visiting Afghanistan and Islamabad, said he had conveyed to Pakistan's leaders "certain expectations" that the Trump administration had about controlling terror groups that operate from its soil.
He also said too many terror groups had found a safe place in Pakistan to launch attacks against others.
Tillerson said: "In our discussions with Pakistani leadership yesterday in Islamabad, we had a very open frank exchange around the concerns the United States shares with other regional partners and allies, India but also Afghanistan that there are too many terrorist organizations that find a safe place in Pakistan from which to conduct their operations and attacks against other countries.
“We have extended to Pakistan certain expectations we have of their government and their leadership to deal with, in particular, these organizations, the leaders of these organizations," he said.
Tillerson again stated that the US is also concerned about the stability and security of Pakistan's government as well as the issue of “terrorist organizations” have grown in numbers, and “enlarged their strength”.
“It is not in anyone's interest that the government of Pakistan be destabilized. So we think we have a mutually shared interest in not just containing these organizations but ultimately eliminating these organizations," he said. (Tolonews)