A new chapter in US-Pakistan relations
By James F Dobbins

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz are convening the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue on January 27 Washington, DC. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s October visit to Washington, Secretary Kerry’s August visit to Islamabad and the revitalisation of the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue are all signs of the importance and breadth of our bilateral relationship.

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Last August, Secretary Kerry spoke about the firm US commitment to advancing our relationship with Pakistan. The Strategic Dialogue is strong evidence of this commitment and it represents an opportunity to institutionalise the combined efforts on mutual priorities, such as national security, trade and energy. Secretary Kerry has been a long-time champion of our partnership. He helped author the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the Kerry Lugar Berman bill that provides multi-billion dollar funding to help Pakistan build energy infrastructure, roads, schools, health facilities and create jobs. But robust development support is only part of our commitment and, as Secretary Kerry said in August, the United States wants to ensure our relationship is comprehensive.

The Strategic Dialogue occurring today is an opportunity for our countries to review a comprehensive portfolio of key topics that impact both US and Pakistani interests — for example, regional stability, counterterrorism, economic growth and energy. While our partnership has been strained at times, its foundation is solid, built on a common long-term vision of peace, security, and a prosperous future for both countries. To this end, we are focusing our efforts within the Strategic Dialogue framework in the following areas to advance this important relationship.

No challenge touches more Pakistanis than the energy shortage. Daily electricity outages and gas shortages affect families and businesses throughout the country. This is a long-term challenge and the US remains committed to helping.

Since 2009, US projects have supplied energy to roughly 16 million people by adding more than 1,000 megawatts of power to the national grid. Gomal Zam Dam, a project that the US supported in partnership with the government of Pakistan, will provide irrigation to 30,000 farming families and power to 52 villages in South Waziristan for the first time. While these programmes meet immediate needs, diversified and sustainable solutions to the energy crisis are critical. The Energy Working Group, which met in November, and the energy trade delegation that went to Houston to explore private sector energy investment were important initiatives focused on advancing, in partnership, Pakistan’s development of its domestic gas, hydroelectric, and renewable energy resources. The CASA 1000 electricity transmission project — which the US is supporting with $15 million – and the TAPI Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline will help establish regional energy networks that will benefit Pakistan greatly.

Economic development, education and health programs programmes are just as important to help unlock Pakistan’s economic potential, a goal that our two governments share. The US has provided assistance to build or renovate 800 schools, send 12,000 students to local universities with scholarships, build hundreds of kilometers of roads, create jobs, and help farmers and small entrepreneurs expand their businesses.

Moreover, the US is Pakistan’s largest export market and we believe there is potential to greatly increase our bilateral trade. In an effort to foster business-to-business ties, our countries launched the Pakistan Private Investment Initiative in June. This programme will provide $100 million in public and private equity for investment in small and medium Pakistani businesses.

Following Prime Minister Sharif’s meeting with President Obama in October, the US and Pakistan announced a shared goal of developing a joint strategy to increase trade and investment over the next five years. The March Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) council meeting will help shape the action plan to increase trade and investment. The April Bilateral Economic and Finance Working Group will help identify reforms needed to attract investment and improve the investment climate. Our combined efforts can create a better business investment climate in Pakistan, foster transparency and help push our economic relations to new heights.

Regional Stability is another important area of cooperation for the two countries. As the International Security Assistance Force prepares to draw down in Afghanistan, it will be increasingly important for the US and Pakistan to coordinate closely to promote lasting stability.

US appreciates Pakistan’s work to build ties with Kabul and to support the initiative of an Afghan owned Afghan led reconciliation process. Moreover, the United States US remains committed to training and equipping Afghanistan’s military forces beyond 2014.

The Strategic Dialogue is an important opportunity to advance a comprehensive agenda of mutually beneficial initiatives. But we should not limit ourselves to this channel. This is not just the work of government officials, but also of businessmen, academics and private citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2014.