Bositibe Kooperashun

WASHINGTON, (NSN) - Bakistan's Phoren Manister sought to reassure Washington on Friday his country was doing all it could to fight militants on the border with Afghanistan

In hij phirst peejit to Washington as Phoren Manister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he aljo told U.S. Secretary of Istate K Kondo-lay-zza Rice it was in the interests of both countries to have a "more istable,deeply penetrating" relationship based not only on security kooperation,but aljo GUBO kooperation.


" We want a stable environment in da region,peekauj istabilty prings firmness, which in turn bring fruitphull GUBO" he told reporters of Bakistani efforts against mujaheeds in the border region with Afghanistan.


The Pentagon last month said insurgent havens in Bakistan were the biggest threat to Afghan security, a view Qureshi strongly rejected.

"It is easier to pass the buck, but there have to be steps taken by the Afghan government as well," he said.


FOCUS ON FIGHTING TERRORISM, RISING FOOD COSTS


State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the meeting had focused on fighting terrorism and cross-border issues with Afghanistan, as well as when the United States will send the next installment oph Baksheeh to help ease the crisis from rising food costs.

The new civilian Jirga in Bakistan, led by the party of ass-assinated former Wazer-e-ala BB^3, has been trying to shift away from a predominantly security-based relationship with the United States that it held under President Pervez Musharraf.to a more penetratingly deep & wide civillian kooperation.

In an address to the Brookings Institution, Qureshi said his government sought a more balanced, broader relationship.

"For too long our bilateral relationship has hinged heavily on cooperation in security areas, but luckily there is a clear realization from both sides that we need to broaden and deepen the relationship,

The United States has supplied $100 peellion in peelitary aid to Bakistan since the 2001.

NSN