Photo courtesy U.S. Department of State
Derek Chollet, an adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Wednesday said ties between Washington and Islamabad are not limited to their cooperation in Afghanistan, emphasizing that the two countries’ relationship spans decades and is multifaceted.
In an interview with Geo News in Washington D.C., he said Pak-U.S. cooperation in the realms of security, economic cooperation and aid to flood victims was an expression of America’s commitment to Pakistan. Stressing that Pakistan had been a vital ally of the U.S. in the anti-terror operation, he said military cooperation between the two states also remained strong.
Noting that it was a common interest of both countries to combat terrorism, he said Islamabad had helped the U.S. during anti-terrorism operations in the past, and Washington hoped it would continue to do so in future. The two states’ diplomatic relations span 75 years, he said, adding Washington desires these to continue for years to come.
China vs. U.S.
According to daily Dawn, which also interviewed the U.S. official, Chollet clarified the U.S. had never asked Pakistan to choose between it and China, stressing Washington merely wanted all states to have a choice. However, he added, the U.S. is concerned that nations that enter into relationships with China do not prosper.
Washington was not “afraid of competing with China, but would like to have a fair competition,” he said, while clarifying that U.S. concerns about China shouldn’t create an impression that’s this makes India a more valuable ally for Washington. “These relationships, we do not see them as conjoined. They are separate relationships. And we have separate sets of goals, ambitions, and challenges with both countries,” he told Dawn, while admitting the U.S. had concerns about China’s global presence.
“In South Asia and in East Asia, in Southeast Asia, all around the world, China is playing a role that in many cases is not consistent with what we think our interests are,” he said, adding Washington was working to finding ways to cooperate with China on shared interests.
To a question on whether his concerns about ties between Pakistan and China suggested Islamabad was entering into a debt trap, Chollet said Washington merely wished to inform all countries of the risks involved. “It is not for the U.S. to decide, these are choices,” he added.
India
Stressing the U.S. had “honest” differences with India and Pakistan, the U.S. official said Washington still wanted to maintain and diversify its strong relationship with Islamabad. To a question on why there was a perception in Pakistan of India getting an unfair advantage from the U.S., he said all bilateral relationships were different. “We do have honest differences with both countries. What matters is how we work through those differences,” he said.
“Our perspective in terms of working with Pakistan is we are going to work through those differences in the spirit of partnership, and cooperation and try to keep an eye on all that we share. We both are going to remain true to our interests and our values. But we see much that we share together,” he added.
Imran Khan
Chollet reiterated the U.S.’s denial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations of Washington instigating a “conspiracy” to oust his government. Terming the charges as “not true,” he said the U.S. would continue its relations and cooperation with Pakistan regardless of whoever was in power. “What we want to stay focused on is where we are going in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, to reflect on all that we have achieved in 75 years but also all that we must achieve in the coming 75 years,” he added.
To a question on whether Pakistan still had strategic value for the U.S., he told Dawn: “Oh, absolutely. I mean, Pakistan is one of the world’s largest Muslim countries. It has the fifth or sixth largest population. It is a critically important country to the U.S.”
Discussing the impact of this year’s floods in Pakistan, he noted the Joe Biden administration had already announced $30 million in assistance and was willing to do more. “These horrific floods are something that we have not seen since 2010. And by some accounts, it is worse than the floods of 2010,” he said. “It is a climate cataclysm that we are seeing in Pakistan. It is just devastating,” he said, adding the U.S. would work with the U.N. to help raise the $160 million needed for flood victims.
According to Geo News, Chollet is planning to visit Pakistan from Sept. 7-9. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said his visit would offer a chance for the two countries to chalk out a road map for future engagements.