He said, \u00a0\u201cWe have seen an increase in exports from Afghanistan to India (through air cargo)\u2026 it is obviously one part of the export strategy but it is an important part\u2026 and I think part of the reason why, in addition to the economic relationship between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, a couple of months ago for the first time the Pakistani government expressed a willingness to start talking with its Afghan counterparts for parameters to enabling trade between India and Afghanistan through Pakistan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to a question on discussions between India and US on sanctions against Iran, the envoy acknowledged that the Indian government had raised the issue of US sanctions and how it would impact Chabahar port when US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence secretary Jim Mattis were in India last week.<\/p>\n Read More: Afghanistan, Not India, Will Be Imran Khan\u2019s Priority Until 2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He said that the Indian government in the discussions conveyed it\u2019s perspectives \u201con the importance of Chabahar as a means to expand bilateral trade and help improve Afghanistan\u2019s connectivity with South Asia\u201d.<\/p>\n The US diplomat further said, \u201cWe are processing and evaluating how best to re-impose sanctions on Iran, with the Irani regime\u2019s malevolent behaviour and its activities in destabilising its neighbours. My government is still thinking through how Chabahar factors in the re-imposition of the toughest sanctions that we believe need to be put in place to hold the Iranian government accountable for its action.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"US:](\"http:\/\/s3apnlivemumbai.s3-website.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/apnlive\/uploads\/2018\/09\/US-Pakistan-approach-Afghanistan-to-resume-Kabul-Delhi-trade-by-road1.jpg\")
<\/a>Bass opines that a political settlement in Afghanistan was in \u201cPakistan\u2019s long-term interest\u201d. \u00a0He said, \u201cIncreased trade in both directions, increased connectivity through central and south Asia through Afghanistan \u2013 those are all missed opportunities if Pakistan has its sole focus on perpetuating the status quo.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"US:](\"http:\/\/s3apnlivemumbai.s3-website.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/apnlive\/uploads\/2018\/09\/US-Pakistan-approach-Afghanistan-to-resume-Kabul-Delhi-trade-by-road..jpg\")
<\/a>To another question as to how should Afghanistan crisis be resolved, the Us ambassador said the US did not believe that the conflict in Afghanistan would end with a military victory.<\/p>\n