U.S., Pakistan Meet Amid Military Aid Cut

Pakistani Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne (right) speaks with U.S. General James Mattis in Rawalpindi in April.

High-level U.S.-Pakistani contacts have taken place, after the United States suspended a third of the $2 billion in military aid it sends to Islamabad.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said the head of U.S. Central Command, Marine General James Mattis, met with Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Khalid Shameem Wynne.

An embassy statement said Mattis's visit was to "share perspectives on the current relationship between the two militaries and to review the way ahead."

Earlier, Pakistan announced that the head of its Inter-Services Intelligence agency, Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, was headed to the United States to "coordinate intelligence matters."

Relations between the two countries have been on a downward spiral since January after a CIA contractor killed two Pakistanis in Lahore.

Ties were further damaged in May by the killing of Osama bin Laden in a secret raid by U.S. forces.

compiled from agency reports