WASHINGTON:
Pakistan lies at the heart of tremendous trade prospects between Central and South Asia and Pakistan-India relationship will also be integral to realising regional economic integration, a senior US official said.
“One of the things that we would like to work on more over the next fewmonths and years is to increase the amount of trade and investment in the whole region —- this concept of a new ‘Silk Road’, of an economic region integrated from Central Asia all the way to New Delhi — maybe even to Bangladesh. Who is at the center of that? The center is Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the Obama Administration’s special representative Marc Grossman said.
In an interview with Voice of America, Grossman envisoned “a day when goodswill move back and forth from Central Asia to India, through Afghanistan, through Pakistan”.
“What will that do? It will increase jobs, it will increase the capacity of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan to make choices about their own lives in the economic sphere. I think that’s extremely important – market access, more goods, more investment, more jobs – these are things that are extremely important to both Pakistan and Afghanistan.” Another important part here, he noted, is the “relationship between India and Pakistan, because clearly, as goods and services and people move up and down this Silk Road, they also need to move successfully between India and Pakistan.”
He appreciated the work the Indian and Pakistani commerce ministers have recently done together as “very positive”.
“Some of the other ministers, including the foreign ministers who have met– if we can continue to see that kind of progress between India and Pakistan, it will also be a foundation for this vision, this idea of economic integration running from Central Asia to India, or even actually to Bangladesh.”
On US-Pakistan relations, he noted, Pakistan and the United States have had a relationship for a long time.
“Like in all relationships, sometimes it’s better, sometimes it’s worse. But our job now is to see if we can’t get back to basic principles between Pakistan and the United States. When I was there a few weeks ago, it seemed to me that the foundation for Pakistani-American relations is that Pakistanis and Americans can find shared interests, and then act on them jointly. I think that if we can follow that philosophy, we’ll do ourselves some good.”
The special envoy applauded President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to legalise political parties for the first time in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, bordering Afghanistan.
“Obviously, the way Pakistan organises its own government is its business,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2011.
Dear Americans, we know your game. Keep your advice to yourselves and keep your noses out of our affairs. Long live the Pak-Chinese alliance. Have a nice day.
@Frank:
Pakistan always wants to be satrapy of one country or another. First the US at birth now China. Is it because Pakistan does not have the ability to stand on its own? It has propped up by one country or another.
Who after China Frank?
Opps, forgot, it is CIA, RAW and Mossad that makes Pakistan to be vasal state!
@Menon:
Look who is talking and telling us to stand on its own?
Dude what about USA? USA has the most loan than any nation in the world. You are like beggers asking china, japan and norway for more money.
Your very child born has loan on it.
Look at your social justice system, weired.
You guys are now on your way to destruction.
We the Pakistanis or muslim are on the rise….
It could take years but this is what is fact.
Stop bullying.
@Menon
After its gonna be pakistan itself world power and oops india after russia now westren puppit may be after this again new mughal empire.
But our guru shri Salman Rashid said Pak has nothing to do with the Silk Road! Nor will there be a “new silk road”.
In the first instance,
we should admit the reality that
Kashmir issue is a great hurdle between India and Pakistan
regarding the good relations,
without its solution based on principle,the dream of good relations
between the two nuclear armed states will never come true
He appreciated the work the Indian and Pakistani commerce ministers
have recently done together as “very positive”.
At the time ,when was saying forgot this ground reality that
China a super power of the region with vast economy has already occupied the
commerce with countries have he named during the interview.
Why are the Americans taking about this knowing well the Pakistani paranoia that America is somehow exploiting Pakistan to get at some imaginary natural resource.
Americans would do well to get as far away from Pakistan as possible and sanction it from afar. That is the best course of action.
@Mash vijay:
how could you ask that question??!!!
so what?? ohh, your old master.
oh,, that is sad.!
everyone know who are the beggars
haha,………!!!!!! yours??
omg!! how?? (because of anna hazare’s hunger strike?? lollll)
yaa, everyone can see what is happening in pakistan in the name of religion.
who knows and who cares.
@Menon – Dude, Take it or leave it . . . .Here is the bitter fact . . .
If India wants to benefit from Pak- China silk route, then, it should let Kashmir have its freedom from India as this unsettled dispute will be a thorn in doing business with India and would be problematic for a smooth business and peaceful silk route. So, all those supporting India,s participation in the silk route with Pakistan and China need to be honest and also support the freedom of Kashmir from India as that will benefit all parties in various aspects including business prosperity.
Maybe US can help resolve water disputed between India and Pakistan. Water disputes in US are also underway as there is depletion in water resources.