Pak seeks to bridge trust deficit with US: Gilani

Pakistan wants to bridge an existing trust deficit and develop a solid framework for long term relations during its upcoming strategic dialogue with the US, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today.
    
"The objective of the strategic dialogue is to enhance the people-to-people strategic relationship, which will bridge the trust deficit," Gilani said while chairing a meeting of the country's top civil and military leaders to develop a comprehensive and coordinated approach for the parleys.
    
Outlining his vision for the dialogue, Gilani said his government's "objective is not only to upgrade the dialogue status, enhancing the Pakistan-US partnership to the ministerial level, but also to develop a solid and enduring framework for long-term Pakistan-US relations".
    
The Pakistan-US strategic dialogue is scheduled to be held on in Washington on March 24. The talks will cover economic, defence, security and social sectors, said a statement from the prime minister's House.

A number of other proposals, such as a structured dialogue process envisaging cooperation with the US to review the status of ongoing programmes and projects, will be taken up in the talks.
    
Gilani directed concerned ministries to identify specific programmes and projects in each sector in line with short and long-term national development priorities. He instructed the ministries to clearly indicate priority areas that require support and technical aid.
    
Water and power minister Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and other top military and civil officers attended the meeting.