US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on 13 December, said he does not enjoy dealing with Pakistan as America's relationship with the South Asian country has "drifted over the years", noting that the two countries need to restore the ties to "one of common interest".
"Dealing with Pakistan – I don't enjoy that," Tillerson said in response to a specific query during a town hall with the State Department employees here.
His remark, without any further explanation, was in response to a question posed by a State Department employee who asked: "Is it fair to ask and say do you enjoy your job as Secretary of State?"
"So we're engaged in very frank discussions with Pakistan over the concerns we have about their own stability and their future, and the threat they're under by allowing terrorist organisations to operate in their territory," Tillerson said.
Earlier in his remarks, Tillerson referred to the new South Asia Policy as one of the key foreign policy highlights in the first year of the Trump administration.
Tillerson said that President Donald Trump took a very bold decision by asserting that the US will be in Afghanistan with its military presence and continue to fight terrorism and the Taliban on a conditions-based effort.
"We're there until this thing is brought to a conclusion. It's not a blank cheque. It's not forever. But we're going to stay on the ground and support the Afghan government," he said.
According to him, Trump's South Asia policy aims to deny any safe haven to terrorist organisations in the AfPak region.
The top American diplomat asserted that the policy could be achieved by "eliminating the safe havens", bringing on board the groups fighting with each other to get them involved in dialogue, and creating the conditions for a reconciliation process within Afghanistan for peace.
The United States has elevated its engagement with India as part of its effort of free and open Indo-Pacific, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said.
"As part of the free and open Indo-Pacific, we have elevated our engagement with India," Tillerson said.
On America's relationship with China, he said the administration now has a very active mechanism in which it can put complex issues on the table.
Tillerson said the US is paying a close attention to Beijing's 'One Belt, One Road' (OBOR) initiative, but sought to clarify that the Trump administration does not intend to contain China's economic growth.
The Secretary of State borrowed a quote from Defence Secretary Jim Mattis: "China has One Belt, One Road; the United States and the global economy has many belts and many roads, and no one country gets to choose the belt or the road.”
Tillerson said that a free and open Indo-Pacific means all countries have access to continue their economic development and free access for trade through the region.
(With inputs from PTI)
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