Toronto, March 28: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has conveyed to Pakistan that it must "deliver outcomes" to build confidence and trust between the two countries, the US State Department has revealed.

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino spoke about Pompeo’s message to Islamabad when asked about the US Secretary of State’s recent remarks in which he spoke about nuclear proliferation as one of the top national security concerns for the U.S. "Nuclear proliferation is one of the very first national security concerns articulated in our national security strategy. It's at the very top of the list,” Palladino told reporters on Tuesday at his biweekly news conference.

Palladino was answering a question on the recent remarks by Pompeo in which he identified Pakistan's nuclear proliferation as the third top national security concern for the US. "The secretary (of State Pompeo) has emphasised the need (for Pakistan) to deliver outcomes and to build confidence and trust between our two nations.” The US, Palladino said, wants to see a prosperous Pakistan that contributes positively towards regional stability and security. Read: Pakistan May Become 5th Largest Nuclear-weapon State by 2025

"So that absolutely remains something that this administration thinks about often because the level of impact of what could happen is simply so great. So that remains at the very top of our national security considerations," Palladino said. Pakistan has been accused of helping countries like North Korea and Iran gain nuclear weapons technology.

Responding to another question, he said: "Pakistan could play an important role in bringing about a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan, this is something that we’re thankful for." The statement comes a day after Pakistan and EU talks have reportedly led to the opening up a new front of talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2019 03:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).