Afghanistan, Pakistan inter-connected: US

Outlining the reason behind its decision to carry out a comprehensive review of its policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, the US has said it sees both countries inter-connected as developments in one have implications for peace and stability on the other.

"... we're having an Afghanistan-Pakistan review - and we've worked very hard to get our allies on board and looking at both countries, not just at Afghanistan, which took some discussion - is because we see them as inter-connected," secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters en route to Seoul.

Clinton is currently on a four-nation tour of Asia – Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and China. This is her first overseas trip as the US secretary of State.

"Any decision in one (country) affects our prospects and the prospects of peace and stability in the other, so we are very aware of the fact that we have to look at both of them," Clinton said in response to a question.

She said the US has asked both Afghanistan and Pakistan to contribute ideas and personnel to its policy review. "Because we want them to be part of what our eventual strategic assessment is going to be," she said.

"They've both agreed to do that. So I don't want to say anything other than that at this moment," Clinton said when asked about the Swat valley peace deal between Islamabad and the Taliban militants.