The United States said on Monday it was "confident" in Pakistan's ability to control its nuclear arsenal, days after President Joe Biden expressed concern about the security of the arsenal, prompting Islamabad to recall the US ambassador.
"The United States is confident of Pakistan's commitment and ability to control its nuclear weapons," State Department spokesman Vidant Patel told reporters.
"The United States has always considered a secure and prosperous Pakistan to be very important to its interests, and more broadly, the United States values the long-term cooperation with Pakistan," he added.
Biden made surprising comments about Pakistan's nuclear program last Thursday while attending a special Democratic Party fundraiser in California, where he began speaking about the challenges facing Chinese President Xi Jinping, a close ally of Pakistan.
Biden said - according to a text from the White House - "I think that Pakistan is probably one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It has nuclear weapons without any coherence."
Following these statements, Islamabad summoned US Ambassador Donald Bloom to protest, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif wrote on Twitter that "Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state.. We are proud that our nuclear capabilities have the best guarantees.. We take these safety measures very seriously. Nobody has any doubts."
Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that he was surprised by President Biden's comments, and that the "misunderstanding" arose from the lack of communication, expressing his conviction that the decision to recall the US ambassador would not negatively affect his country's relations with Washington.
It is noteworthy that US officials have long made observations and expressed their concerns about nuclear safety in the event of a change in the political situation in Pakistan, which is likely to provide military and intelligence services in support of the Taliban movement in neighboring Afghanistan.
The United States is also concerned about Pakistan's close partnership with China, particularly on infrastructure projects that give Beijing access to the Indian Ocean.