NATO to deepen ties with Pakistan

Brussels—The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said it would deepen its ties with Pakistan in the political sphere once a new government is formed in the country, EUAsiaNews reported Thursday.
“We have very close relationship with Pakistan on the military side and a growing relationship in the political sphere. I hope to take this forward once a government is formed,” NATO spokesperson James Appathurai told a news conference in Brussels Wednesday. He said a high-level meeting on Afghanistan would be held during the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, in April.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and European Union (EU) leaders are expected to attend the meeting. Pakistan has not been invited to the meeting, since it is held for the troop-contributing nations, major donors and international organisations, he said. —Agencies