U.S., Pakistan to hold strategic dialogue on Wednesday
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U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that the U.S. and Pakistan will hold their first ministerial-level strategic dialogue on Wednesday and Thursday.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Qureshi, the State Department said in a statement.
The statement said the "breadth and depth" of the bilateral relationship goes far beyond security and the dialogue marks "a major intensification of the partnership."
Pakistan expressed the hope on Thursday that the U.S. would understand its concerns in the realm of security and economic development in the strategic dialogue.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi stressed that his country has delivered too much and it is now time for the U.S. to start delivering.
Media reported that Pakistan had presented a wish-list to the U. S. ahead of the meeting, asking for help on military equipment, water and energy.
U.S. and Pakistan hold a strategic dialogue in Washington in April 2006, co-chaired by Pakistan's then Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and then U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.
Last year, Pakistan and the U.S. had agreed to raise strategic dialogue to the ministerial level, the first of its kind since President Barack Obama has announced new strategy for the region.
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