United States’ Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday said Washington will look to India to help keep an eye on Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially as President Donald Trump has taken a tougher stand against havens for terrorists, PTI reported.
“America’s overriding interests in Afghanistan and throughout South Asia are to eliminate terrorist safe havens that threaten us,” Haley said. “To keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists, we will use all the elements of our national power – economic, diplomatic and military – to pursue these goals.”
Although Pakistan has been a US partner on occasion, Washington cannot tolerate any government that provides havens to terrorists, she said, adding that the US also hopes that India will help in Afghanistan.
“They [India] are the good neighbours and partner that we have in the region,” Haley said. “So having them helps not only with infrastructure and the aid that they can give towards rebuilding Afghanistan, [but they can] also help us keep an eye on Pakistan.”
She made the statements at an event organised in Washington by the United States-India Friendship Council.
Haley also said that India can become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council if the five permanent members – United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China and France – opt out of using the veto power. She said the reform of the Security Council was more about the veto power, which the five countries are not willing to give up. The UN General Assembly elects the remaining 10 members for two-year terms.
“So the key to getting India on the council would have to be to not touch the veto,” she said.
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