The White House on Wednesday acknowledged the historic cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in the fight against terrorism, but said no “alliance or treaty” existed between the two countries as Islamabad was never “a technical ally” of Washington.

John Kirby, National Security Communications Adviser at the White House, told a press briefing in Washington that President Joe Biden’s administration remains committed to working with Pakistan to address the threats posed by terrorism.

“Well, first of all, I would — as you know, Pakistan was never technically an ally of the United States. I mean, there was no alliance treaty with Pakistan,” Kirby said while responding to a question about the Biden administration’s actions on Pakistan.

However, he acknowledged the bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism. “But certainly, over many, many years in the last few decades, we have partnered with Pakistan as appropriate to deal with the terrorist threat that still exists on the spine between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.

Kirby also addressed the ongoing security concerns, stating, “We recognize that Pakistan is still — still the people of Pakistan are victims of terrorist violence coming from across the border. We recognize that.” He said the Biden administration was committed to working with Pakistan to counter these shared threats.

“We have, and as long as we sit here, remain committed to working with Pakistan to address the shared threats and challenges. And that’s not — that hasn’t changed. It’s not going to change,” added he.