KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Saturday he had summoned the U.S. ambassador after President Joe Biden questioned the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear program.
In a speech on Thursday, Biden said that Pakistan is “perhaps one of the most dangerous nations in the world” because it has “nuclear weapons without any coherence.”
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was surprised by the comments. “Regarding the question of safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets, we comply with all – each and every – international standards in accordance with the IAEA,” he said at a press conference on Saturday.
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A transcript of Biden’s speech was released by the White House on its website.
Bhutto-Zardari said he did not think the decision to summon the US ambassador would negatively affect relations with the United States, and said officials could address any specific concerns Washington had about the nuclear program. On the same subject : No, the United States is not testing a nuclear bomb from a B-1B Lancer.
“US meets regularly with Pakistani officials.” A US State Department spokesman in Washington told Reuters in a statement, adding: “As standard practice, we do not comment on the specifics of private diplomatic conversations.”
Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have recently warmed after several years of frosty relations, largely due to concerns over Pakistan’s alleged support for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies this support.
The foreign minister said concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear program were not raised during his recent trip to Washington, where he held extensive meetings, including at the State Department.
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Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Writing by Rupam Jain; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Ros Russell and Sandra Maler On the same subject : Lufthansa will return to full-year profit as travel picks up.
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