US President Donald Trump on Sunday once again praised Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying they were “great people” and promising that the United States will help resolve the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Trump’s comments came as he spoke to reporters in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, where he witnessed the signing of the much-awaited peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
He told reporters that the truce was going to be a “very long peace”.
“This is one of eight wars that my administration has ended in just eight months. We’re averaging one a month,” he said.
Talking about the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has claimed lives of dozens of people on both sides in two weeks, Donald Trump assured that it will be resolved soon.
“There is only one left. I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up. But I will get that solved very quickly. I know them both,” Trump said.
He heaped praises on Munir and Sharif, saying that he was confident of resolving the Pakistan-Afghanistan war.
“Pakistan… the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people, and I have no doubt we are going to get that done quickly. That one started up a few days ago. And I just feel it’s something I can do,” he said.
Trump has taken an interest to broker peace among conflicting nations since he took office for the second time earlier this year. He has repeatedly claimed that he stopped the India Pakistan war in May, a claim that New Delhi has denied.
“I do it nicely. I don’t need to do it, I guess. But if I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s really a great thing. I can’t think of anything better to do. But the eight wars that my administration has ended in just eight months – there’s never been anything like that. Never. There never will be, either. I can’t think of any President who ever solved one war. I don’t think anybody… they start wars,” the US President said.
US-Pakistan relationship: Where does India stand?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that America sees an opportunity to expand its ties with Pakistan but it will not come at the expense of India, with whom it has historic ties.
Ahead of his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Rubio, referring to India’s energy ties with Russia, said New Delhi has already expressed a desire to diversify its procurement of crude oil.
Pakistan… the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people, and I have no doubt we are going to get that done quickly.
“I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” he said.
The US-Pakistan ties have witnessed an upswing in the last six months, especially after US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir following the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May.
