Washington, Sept 19: US’ unilateral strikes on Pakistani soil was not a viable long term solution to the prevailing situation along the Pak-Afghan border, instead co-operative efforts between the anti-terrorism partners - Pakistan and the US – would provide the best way forward, said US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Speaking in Hong Kong last evening, Negroponte said he saw a ‘very important relationship’ between the US and Pakistan with regard to security and stability in the South Asian region, and added that he hoped for things to stabilise after Pakistan’s political transition.

“I would say looking to the future what we want to do is work more collaboratively with the government of Pakistan to see what we can do together on a collaborative basis to try and improve the security situation in that border region,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

According to the transcript of his statement, he said: “Unilateral actions are probably not a durable or a viable solution over a prolonged period of time and I think the best way forward for both of our countries is to try to deal with the situation in that border area on a co-operative basis – co-operative both between the United States and Pakistan, but also with the country of Afghanistan. So I would say trilateral cooperation, if you will, is probably the best way forward.”

Negroponte’s remarks assume significance as they came after US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen’s recent visit to Islamabad, reiterating that the US respected Pakistan’s sovereignty.

He claimed that the problems in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on the border and Afghanistan were interlinked. (ANI)