By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Monday agreed to launch National Security Dialogue in the context of enhanced Pakistan-UK partnership, the Foreign Ministry said.
The understanding reached here at a meeting between the National Security Advisor of the United Kingdom Sir Peter Ricketts with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar at the Foreign Ministry.
Their talks covered all issues of mutual concern, including counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and issues related to South Asia, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
The UK advisor also met Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani who welcomed the discussions on national security issues between Pakistan and the UK and termed as the most important part of the enhanced strategic dialogue likely to be launched during the forthcoming visit of the British Prime Minister to Pakistan next month.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan and Britain had a robust political, military and intelligence cooperation and the present discussions will provide further momentum and substance to these areas of bilateral cooperation.
The Prime Minister said that both countries have to work together and develop a common strategy in order to synergize their energies to fight the war against terrorism.
“The military gains alone would not be a solution for achieving the final victory in the war as they need to be complemented through socio-economic development of the cleared areas to retain the masses support in this pursuit”.
The UK security advisor agreed with the Prime Minister that political support must follow the military gains by way of economic development for addressing core issues like poverty and illiteracy in the militancy-affected areas of Pakistan as well as Afghanistan, a PM office statement said.
Sir Peter Ricketts said that the UK would like to have integrated dialogue with Pakistan on political, military as well as intelligence cooperation and hoped that his visit alongwith the British Defence Chief would be the beginning of a robust dialogue between the two sides.
He assured the Prime Minister that the UK was ready to build the capacity of Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies through training as well as the supply of the needed equipment and building of infrastructure to strengthen their hands in the fight against terrorism.