Washington has warmly welcomed Sharif, who arrived on Sunday for his first visit to the U.S. capital since taking office. He dined with Secretary of State John Kerry and other top U.S. officials and was hosted at a breakfast meeting Wednesday at Vice President Joe Biden's residence. Sharif's wife was also the guest of honor at a tea and poetry reception hosted by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the vice president's wife.
A military honor guard also lined the driveway leading to the West Wing of the White House as Sharif arrived for his meeting with Obama.
Beyond drones, the other hot-button issues on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting included plans for winding down the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and the longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan.
Both leaders agreed on the need for a stable and secure Afghanistan after combat missions formally conclude there at the end of next year. The U.S. and Afghanistan are negotiating an agreement to keep some American troops in Afghanistan after 2014, but one unresolved issue—which is a deal breaker for the U.S.—is whether American military courts maintain legal jurisdiction over the troops.
U.S. officials have said the White House is looking to keep fewer than 10,000 troops on the ground after 2014 for counterterrorism and training purposes. Some Pakistani officials fear that a full American withdrawal could increase the flow of extremists across its border with Afghanistan.
The Pakistani leader also invited Obama to visit Pakistan, but the U.S. president did not publicly accept the offer. During his first term, Obama had told Pakistani officials that he wanted to visit the country, but those plans were halted by the increased tensions that followed the bin Laden killing.
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