Kerry reassures US support to Pakistan's new government

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has reassured that the U.S. government "remained steadfast in supporting the new democratic government in Pakistan" in a phone call to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. Kerry provided an update on the recent developments and expressed appreciation for Pakistan's positive role in advancing peace and stability in the region, a Foreign Ministry statement said. "He reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations for enduring peace and stability in the region," said the statement. During the call on Sunday, Kerry also conveyed his felicitations to Nawaz Sharif on his assumption of office as prime minister of Pakistan. The prime minister and Kerry also discussed the regional situation, the Foreign Ministry said. The prime minister thanked Kerry for the felicitations and reiterated his government's resolve to further consolidate and strengthen relations with the United States on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect, according to the ministry. Sharif underscored the need to strengthen the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, the statement said. He also emphasized the importance of regular high-level exchanges between the two sides in order to build on mutual interests and shared goals, it added. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said last week that John Kerry will visit Pakistan later this month. However, the statement did not mention the visit. John Kerry made the phone call at a time when the two countries have serious differences over U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan. Pakistan summoned the U.S. charge d'affaires earlier this month over recent drone strikes in North Waziristan tribal region which had killed 13 people. Islamabad insists that the U.S. drone strikes are violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and counterproductive. The United States says that the drones target al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal regions who are blamed for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.