Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte has said a strong and unified Pakistan is in the interest of the United States and the entire international community.
“I think it probably is in our interests and the interests of the international community and of Pakistan itself to remain a strong unified state,” he stated in an interview. Asked to comment on negative projections about Pakistan by a South Asia expert, Negroponte said he has not seen the writing but stressed “the important thing is that they (Pakistan) do have a strong central government that’s able and strong security institutions that are able to stabilise the situation throughout the country”.
In answer to a question he told the Council on Foreign Relations that the presence of al-Qaeda operatives in the “border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan” impacts both countries. He said the US and Pakistan work closely in the war on terror and reaffirmed support for Pakistan’s plans aimed at economic uplift of the tribal areas.