WASHINGTON - Pakistan has a huge stake in the outcome of the Afghan conflict, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday, underscoring that the US could not dispense with its relationship with Islamabad, which must be part of the Afghan solution. "Everybody knows Pakistan has a big stake in the outcome of what goes on across their border, and they are going to be involved one way or the other," America's top diplomat said.
She was responding to a question at an American think tank as to how she viewed Pakistan's role in the Afghan reconciliation process in the backdrop of a series of events this year that have undermined the US-Pakistan relationship.
"This is a very difficult relationship, but I believe strongly that it is not one we can walk away from and expect that anything will turn out better, because I don't believe that will be the case."
"Therefore, we are deeply engaged in finding ways to enhance cooperation with Pakistan and to further the Afghan desire for a legitimate peace and reconciliation process," she added, after delivering a speech on 'American Global Leadership' at Center for American Progress.
Clinton remarked that Washington continued to push forward on expectations it had from Pakistan.
"Pakistan has to be part of the solution, or it will continue to be part of the problem. And therefore, as frustrating as it is, we just keep every day going at it, and I think we make very slow, sometimes barely discernible progress, but we're moving in the right direction."
At the same time, Clinton acknowledged difficulties Afghanistan faces as international forces move towards draw down according to the NATO-set date of 2014 while Afghans seek reconciliation and semblance of normalcy returning to their country after three decades of internal strife and wars.
"We have always said that we want to support an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation process. And I think after a lot of very deep thought and consideration, President Karzai believes we have to follow through on that," she elaborated. (Agencies)