US taking into account terror threats to India from Pakistan: Pompeo
Washington will take into account the terror threats from Pakistan to India, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Terror threats from the Imran Khan-led country were discussed at the India-US ministerial-level 2+2 Strategic Dialogue. "India has rightful concerns that they have about terrorism emanating from Pakistan, and we assured them that we would take that into account," he told reporters after the meeting in Washington with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday.
"We have been unambiguous in our partnership with the Indian government about terror, terror from wherever it emanates, whether it's from inside of Pakistan or from anyplace else," he said, adding that counterterrorism cooperation was growing with India.
In his remarks, Jaishankar said: "I can only say this in terms of public record, that I'm very satisfied with the discussions we have had today."
He said that the two sides exchanged notes on "the challenges in our region and what have been the newer developments on that front, and this is an area where the two countries actually have a very strong history of cooperating".
Among the ways of fighting terror, they discussed working closely on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international organisation for combating financing of terrorism, which has Pakistan on its watchlist, he said.
"I appreciate very much the sentiments, appreciate - expressed by Secretary Pompeo on the 11th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack," Jaishankar said.
Six Americans were killed in the 2008 attack by Pakistani terrorists and Pompeo acknowledged the threat of terrorism that puts his countrymen in its crosshairs.
"We are determined to protect the American people from the threat of terrorism and we're determined to work with our great democratic friends like the Indians to protect the people of India as well, and we'll continue to work on it," he said.
Rajnath Singh said: "We conveyed that the extreme rhetoric and belligerent statements and incitements to anti-India violence by Pakistani leaders is not conducive to peace."
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