The Obama-Nawaz dialogue

The much-hyped visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the US warrants an incisive look at the actual outcome of the dialogue between the two leaders. What caught the fancy of most of commentators and media analysts before the visit was the speculation that the US would want Pakistan to halt its short-range missile programme in exchange for a possible deal on civil-nuclear technology.
But the joint statement issued after the talks between the two leaders makes no mention of the subject. In the context of ‘strategic stability’ and ‘nuclear security and non-proliferation’, however, they did talk about the threat of nuclear terrorism. Obama welcomed Pakistan’s constructive engagement with the Nuclear Security Summit process and its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international forums in this regard. In the regional context they stressed the importance of regional balance.