Enhanced people-to-people contact needed to reduce US-Pak trust deficit: Gilani

Islamabad, Mar.14 (ANI): Admitting that there is a 'trust deficit' between Pakistan and the United States, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the gap can be bridged through enhanced people-to-people contact.

Addressing a meeting, which was held to chart out a comprehensive strategy for the upcoming strategic dialogue between both nations, Gilani said reducing the trust deficit would be one of the prime agenda of the talks scheduled to be held on March 24 in Washington.

"The objective of strategic dialogue is to enhance people-to-people relationships, which can bridge the trust deficit," Gilani said.

Gilani said his government's objective was not only to upgrade the status of dialogue to enhance Pak-US partnership to the ministerial level, but also to develop a solid and enduring framework for long-term ties, The Daily Times reports.

Meanwhile, the White House has hailed the 'unprecedented level' cooperation between Pakistan and America in the fight against extremism in the region.

"We've enjoyed I think an almost unprecedented level of cooperation with them, dating back probably almost a year now, to extremist movements that threatened the Pakistanis and I think in many ways alerted them to many of the concerns that we have long had," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Gibbs said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson has also reported that Pakistan's increased action against the Taliban ,Al Qaeda and other banned extremist networks on its territory has been a critical addition to the international fight against terrorism.

"We feel like we are making progress each and every day, and I think that was conveyed in the update he got from Ambassador Patterson," Gibbs said. (ANI)