Islamabad, August 04, 2017: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Alice Wells visited Islamabad August 3 and 4 as part of her introductory trip to the region.
In Islamabad, she met with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Zubair Hayat. She also met with a group of Pakistani students and teachers who have participated in a U.S. Department of State-funded two- year English-language course of study known as the Access Microscholarship program.
In her meetings with Pakistan’s leaders, Ambassador Wells expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Noting the ongoing South Asia Policy Review, Ambassador Wells underscored the value of cooperation across a range of sectors and mutual interests, including security, trade, and the stability and security of Afghanistan. She stressed that Pakistani soil must not be used to plan or conduct terrorist attacks against its neighbors.
Ambassador Wells congratulated Pakistan on the upcoming 70th anniversary of its independence, noting the occasion also marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations and partnership between America and Pakistan.
Contact: U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section (051-201-5427, 051-201-4423)
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MS NAUERT: Okay.
QUESTION: Thank you. This is Jahanzaib Ali from ARY News TV. The under secretary of state, Alice Wells, just came back from Pakistan --
MS NAUERT: Yes.
QUESTION: -- and can you just tell us what kind of discussions were held there to bring peace in the region? And secondly, you just talked about the Afghan policy, and you just said that it’s under review. You said like a couple of weeks ago that military option is not the only option in Afghanistan. So what kind of efforts are being initiated to bring the Taliban or other stakeholders on the table with other countries? Thank you so much.
MS NAUERT: So as you mentioned, Alice Wells, our acting assistant secretary, just returned from the region, where she was in Pakistan, she was in India, and I believe she may have been in Afghanistan as well. I know that was her first initial trip in this position in order to talk with people and learn more about some of their priorities and their thoughts. Beyond that, I have not had a chance to sit down and talk with her, specifically about what she learned and what our plan is. As you well know, our Afghan review policy is underway as is our Pakistan review policy. I don’t want to get ahead of those. I don’t want to get ahead of where the administration is going to come down because those conversations are still ongoing. Okay. Okay.
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