WASHINGTON, Jan 21: US President Barack Obama and

Vice-President Joe Biden will increase non-military aid to Pakistan and hold it accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan, says the new White House foreign policy agenda issued on Wednesday.

Afghanistan and Pakistan top this agenda, followed by nuclear weapons, Iran, energy security, Israel, bipartisanship and openness, in that order.

“Mr Obama and Mr Biden will refocus American resources on the greatest threat to our security — the resurgence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the statement said.

A brief note preceding the statement outlines the objectives of the new strategy, which is defined as renewing America’s security and standing in the world through a new era of American leadership.

“The Obama-Biden foreign policy will end the war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan,” the statement said.

The new administration will also “secure nuclear weapons and loose nuclear materials from terrorists, and renew American diplomacy to support strong alliances and to seek a lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

A brief description of the number one item on the agenda — Afghanistan and Pakistan — stresses the need for increasing US troop levels in Afghanistan and says that the Obama administration will also press America’s Nato allies to do the same.

The Obama administration promises to “dedicate more resources to revitalise Afghanistan’s economic development” but makes it clear that the new US leaders also expect the Afghan government to do more.

“Mr Obama and Mr Biden will demand the Afghan government do more, including cracking down on corruption and the illicit opium trade.”

Taking advantage of the Obama administration’s focus on the region, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington held a reception to celebrate the inauguration of the new president.

The United States “should come forward to support the people of Pakistan in their dream of making Pakistan a strong and stable democracy, economically vibrant country — where human rights and dignity is respected,” said Ambassador Husain Haqqani while addressing the reception.

Nuclear weapons

The second most important item on the new US foreign policy agenda is securing nuclear weapons.

The White House notes that “the gravest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon and the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes.”

The statement says the new administration will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years.

While working to secure existing stockpiles of nuclear material, Mr Obama and Mr Biden will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material. This will deny terrorists the ability to steal or buy loose nuclear materials, the statement adds.

The new White House also promises to crack down on nuclear proliferation and to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“So that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions,” it warns.

Although the statement does not mention the India-US nuclear treaty, finalised in the final year of the Bush administration, a pledge to strengthen NPT may have a negative impact on the treaty.

Mr Obama and Mr Biden also promise to move towards a nuclear-free world, setting themselves the gigantic goal of creating a world without nuclear weapons, and pursue it.

They also promise to take several steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons. They promise to stop the development of new nuclear weapons; work with Russia to take US and Russian ballistic missiles off hair trigger alert; seek dramatic reductions in US and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; and set a goal to expand the US-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global.

In a separate chapter on Iran, the administration promises to back tough and direct diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.

“Mr Obama and Mr Biden will offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear programme and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organisation, economic investments, and a move towards normal diplomatic relations,” the statement said. “If Iran continues its troubling behaviour, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation.

“Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress,” the statement adds.