President Barack Obama says he wants to “deepen” United States ties with Pakistan. He discussed the relationship during a White House meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday. The two leaders spoke of an enduring U.S.-Pakistan partnership. Relations between the two countries have slowly improved since 2011. That year, U.S. troops killed terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Pakistani officials were angry that the Americans did not inform them before the raid.
Mr. Obama asked Prime Minister Sharif to encourage peace talks between the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group, and the Afghanistan government.
In a joint statement, the two leaders agreed to advance peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban. They called on “Taliban leaders to enter into direct talks” with the Afghan government.
Mr. Sharif said he is working to prevent the Taliban from crossing Pakistan’s border into Afghanistan. The president praised Pakistan for its “ongoing support to degrade and ultimately defeat al-Qaida and its affiliates.”
