NSA Moeed Yusuf meets US National Security Advisor in Geneva: sources

ISLAMABAD: In a first major official contact between Pakistan and the United States after the Biden administration assumed power in January 2021, National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has met his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Geneva, ARY NEWS reported citing sources on Monday.

According to sources having knowledge of the meeting, the contact between US National Security Adviser and Moeed Yusuf has been made in Geneva, where a detailed discussion was held over relations between the two countries.

The matters relating to the Afghan situation in particular and the security situation in the region, in general, were discussed, the sources said adding that this was the first time that Pakistan and US officials have met after Joe Biden’s administration assumed power.

It is pertinent to mention here that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had a telephone conversation on April 14.

During the conversation, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including latest developments in the Afghan peace process and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

COAS said that Pakistan will always support “Afghan led-Afghan Owned” Peace Process based on mutual consensus of all stakeholders.

The US dignitary also acknowledged Pakistan’s continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region and pledged to further enhance bilateral relations between both countries.

The meeting with COAS came in the backdrop of President Joe Biden’s announcement it’s “time to end” America’s longest war with the unconditional withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan where they have spent two decades in a bloody, largely fruitless battle against the Taliban.

Dubbed the “forever war,” the US military onslaught in Afghanistan began in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.