ISLAMABAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of the U.S. Senate Arms Services Committee, Senator John McCain, on Saturday called for close ties with Pakistan at a time when relationship is under pressure over several issues.
McCain arrived in Pakistan on Saturday as the head of a congressional delegation including senator Lindsey Graham and senator Joe Donnelly for talks on how to reduce tensions between the two countries.
The U.S. Congress blocked Pakistan's purchase of subsidized F-16 fighter aircraft for its fight against insurgents in the difficult mountainous terrain in early May.
The administration was to pay 430 million U.S. dollars in subsidies through the U.S. foreign military's financing budget of the jets valued at nearly 700 million dollars. Pakistan's share was only 270 million dollars.
The decision had disappointed Pakistan as the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama had provisionally approved the sale of eight F-16s in February.
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