Goodwill links U.S., Pakistan, envoy says

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WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- Islamabad viewed a joint strategic dialogue with their Washington counterparts as an important step in bilateral ties, U.S. diplomats said.

Bilateral talks between U.S. and Pakistani officials wrapped up this week in Washington. The talks were meant to build on high-level talks kicked off in March.

Anne Patterson, the U.S. envoy to Pakistan, said the meeting at the working-group level was an important step in the strategic relationship between the two countries.

"We look forward to fostering goodwill between the people of Pakistan and the United States and working together to effectively address Pakistan's political, economic, development and security challenges," said Patterson.

The working group focused on existing and future defense cooperation agreements, the U.S. Defense Department said.

U.S. President Barack Obama linked Pakistani stability to the international mission under way in Afghanistan to prop up the government in Kabul. A series of billion-dollar aid packages to Pakistan are part of a broad-based diplomatic effort.