By NNN-APP,
Washington : Pledging to strengthen U.S. partnership with Pakistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said the South Asian country has been a vital source of support for the United States, which is leading international efforts against militancy in Afghanistan.
“Now, the Pakistanis are back in the fight,” he acknowledged in a reference to actions Pakistan has taken to address the Taliban and al-Qaeda threat the country faces in its northwestern territories near the Afghan border.
“They have been an important source of support for us. Almost all of our supplies, about 80 percent of our dry cargo, moves through Pakistan to Afghanistan, and they have helped provide protection for the convoys,” Gates told Charlie Rose Show on Public Broadcasting Service TV, according to a Pentagon report.
Going forward in the Middle East, the United States will be looking for ways to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan, Gates said, such as helping the country with some of its economic problems.
Gates said Pakistan faces many problems and he considers the country a high priority for the United States.