Washington: Nawaz Sharif's decision to invite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a "positive sign", the United States said on Monday, with an official confirming that Secretary of State John Kerry called the new elected leader of Pakistan to congratulate him on his electoral success. "We have seen those comments. I don't want to analyze it too much, but to say that it is a positive step and we look forward to working with the new government as it's formed," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters at her maiden news conference in her current position.
Psaki was responding to questions on the invitation by Sharif to Singh to attend his swearing in ceremony. Kerry on Sunday called Sharif to congratulate him on his electoral victory. "The Secretary called Sharif on Sunday to congratulate him on his strong showing in Saturday's elections, and told him that he looks forward to working with the government as the government is formed in Pakistan," she said. "He looks forward to continuing a broad relationship of working together on a number of issues, including continuing to work on counterterrorism. Mr Sharif has indicated that economic development and growth is one of his focuses. But their focus right now is, of course, on forming the government. And once they do that, I'm sure we'll have more substantive conversations with them," she said.
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01:30 AM, May 14, 2013
Washington: There is no more important partner for the United States in Asia than India and the growing convergence interests and outlook has brought about unprecedented cooperation between the two nations on regional and global security, a top US official has said. "President Obama has called our partnership with India a 'defining partnership for the 21st century'. And as we go about the much-talked about 'Asia rebalance', there's no more...
07:52 AM, May 12, 2013
Moscow: Russia and the United States agreed to seek new peace talks with both sides to end Syria's civil war, but opposition leaders were sceptical on Wednesday of an initiative they fear might let President Bashar al-Assad hang on to power. Mindful the conflict may be far from over, Britain has urged fellow European Union states to lift an arms embargo, arguing it would strengthen those rebel groups favoured by...
07:27 AM, May 09, 2013
Moscow/Beirut: Russia and the United States have agreed to bury their differences over Syria and hold urgent international talks to find a settlement that can end the carnage of a civil war that is inflaming the entire Middle East. Visiting Moscow after Israel bombed targets near Damascus and as President Barack Obama faces new calls to arm the rebels, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia had agreed to...
05:58 AM, May 08, 2013
Washington: The US is considering providing lethal weapons to Syrian opposition forces and a decision is expected within weeks, a media report said on Wednesday. "President Barack Obama is preparing to send lethal weaponry to the Syrian opposition and has taken steps to assert more aggressive US leadership among allies and partners seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad," the Washington Post reported, citing senior US officials. "The officials said...
04:29 AM, May 02, 2013
Brussels: US Secretary of State John Kerry urged NATO on Tuesday to prepare for the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria on the same day that a senior Israeli military intelligence official said Syrian President Bashar Assad had used such weapons in March 2013 in his battle against insurgents. It was the first time Israel had accused the embattled Syrian leader of using his stockpile of nonconventional weapons. The...
07:28 AM, Apr 24, 2013
Istanbul: The United States asked Turkey's leader to delay a Gaza Strip visit so as not to upset US efforts to revive Ankara's ties with Israel and Middle East peace talks, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has for years spoken of his desire to visit the Palestinian enclave, said last week he planned to go in late May 2013 after an...
02:00 AM, Apr 22, 2013
Washington: Expressing concern over the imprisonment of the Pakistani doctor who helped CIA trace Osama bin Laden, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it is wrong and angers all, but US-Pak relationship can't be determined by few things. "Dr Afridi's in jail, he shouldn't be, et cetera. We have said that. We will fight that. And it's wrong, and it angers all of us. But I don't think you...
04:54 AM, Apr 19, 2013
Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed a 20 per cent cut in the American aid to Colombo, a move reflecting the unease in their ties over issues related to human rights, reconstruction and political integration in Sri Lanka after the end of the civil war. It is believed to be the steepest drop for any South Asian country in Kerry's budgetary proposals which was sent to the...
01:33 PM, Apr 15, 2013
Seoul: North Korea may test a new missile to mark the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim il Sung on Monday. The isolated and impoverished state celebrates the former leader's birth anniversary on Monday amidst growing tensions in the east, after weeks of war threats from Pyongyang. Speculation has mounted of an impending medium-range missile test launch in North Korea after reports in South Korea and the United States...
07:12 AM, Apr 15, 2013
Tokyo: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday stressed the United States is willing to engage with North Korea as long as it takes steps to give up nuclear weapons. He also vowed Washington would protect its Asian allies against any provocative acts by the North, but said it wants a peaceful solution to rising tensions in the region. "We are prepared to reach out but we need (the)...
06:45 AM, Apr 15, 2013
Beijing: The United States has reached out to China to increase pressure on North Korea to tone down its threats of a nuclear attack on the US and South Korea. US Secretary of State John Kerry met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, where both the countries made a joint pledge to escalate the denuclearisation process on the Korean peninsula. Kerry said that the US has cancelled certain military exercises,...
06:55 PM, Apr 14, 2013
The North Korean missile test threat has brought two unlikely allies - US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese President Xi Jinping - together. Kerry has reached out to China to help defuse the growing tension in the Korean Peninsula. CNN's Cristina Mutchler reports that both US and China will work together to uphold peace and advancing de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula. China is considered North Korea's biggest benefactor ...
10:04 AM, Apr 14, 2013
Beijing: Bound by threats from North Korea, the US and China agreed on Saturday to rid the bellicose nation of nuclear weapons in a test of whether the world powers can shelve years of rivalry and discord, and unite in fostering global stability. Beyond this latest attempt to restrain North Korea, the burgeoning nuclear crisis has so frustrated the US and China that they are forming a new and tentative...
06:29 AM, Apr 14, 2013
Washington: On the brink of an expected North Korean missile test, US officials focused on the limits of Pyongyang's nuclear firepower on Friday, trying to shift attention from the disclosure that the North Koreans might be able to launch a nuclear strike. They insisted that while the unpredictable government might have rudimentary nuclear capabilities, it has not proved it has a weapon that could reach the United States. A senior...
07:20 AM, Apr 13, 2013
Washington: Secretary of State John Kerry has wished all Bengali-speaking people around the world "Shubho Nobo Borsho!" wishing them happiness and prosperity on behalf of President Barack Obama and the American people. "On behalf of President Obama, I convey my warm greetings to all Bengali-speaking people around the world as you celebrate Pahela Boishakh," marking the advent of Bengali new year, he said in a statement. "The American people wish...
05:12 AM, Apr 13, 2013
Washington: The US assistance to Pakistan has helped in reducing the conditions that foment extremism in the country, the US Secretary of State John Kerry said as the State Department in its annual budget sought $1.3 billion in economic and military assistance for the South Asian nation. "Our economic and military assistance to Pakistan helps reduce the conditions that enable extremism and its calling card - terrorism - to disrupt...
07:29 AM, Apr 11, 2013
Istanbul: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday world powers would pursue further talks with Iran to resolve a decade-old dispute over its nuclear programme, but stressed the process could not go on forever. The six powers and Iran failed again to bridge wide differences at weekend talks in Kazakhstan, prolonging a stand-off that could yet erupt into a new Middle East war. No new talks were scheduled....
06:59 AM, Apr 08, 2013
Kandahar (Afghanistan): Terrorist killed six Americans, including a young female diplomat, and an Afghan doctor in a pair of attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday. It was the deadliest day for the United States in the war in eight months. The violence - hours after the US military's top officer arrived for consultations with Afghan and US-led coalition officials - illustrates the instability plaguing the nation as foreign forces work to...
12:58 PM, Apr 07, 2013
Categorically ruling out the possibility of accepting North Korea as a nuclear power, the United States said that Pyongyang has the peaceful option to enter into negotiations for the denuclearisation. ...
09:08 AM, Apr 03, 2013
