From NATO: Deputy Assistant Secretary General Robert Simmons visited Islamabad on 19 and 20 May for an exchange of views with Pakistani authorities on a range of issues of common interest to NATO and Pakistan. Mr. Simmons met with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir , Defence Secretary Syed Athar Ali and other high-ranking government officials.
He commended Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against extremism and thanked them for the good cooperation with regard to the Alliance’s efforts in Afghanistan. Mr. Simmons and his interlocutors agreed to pursue similar high-level meetings in the future to deepen NATO-Pakistan relationship.
The visit was an opportunity to take stock of the good practical cooperation between NATO and Pakistan with regard to military-to-military contacts and to discuss issues such as regional cooperation, arms control, defence against terrorism and also NATO’s work on a new Strategic Concept, to be adopted later this year. (photo: NATO)