\n US state secretary meets deputy PM, lauds Pakistan\u2019s global peace role amid thaw in relations\n <\/p>\n
\n\tISLAMABAD: Pakistan\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held his first face-to-face meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday, with the US official acknowledging Pakistan\u2019s role in promoting international peace and his Pakistani interlocutor seeking broader ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe meeting is widely viewed as yet another sign of a diplomatic reset after years of estrangement between Islamabad and Washington, particularly during the Afghan war, where diverging perspectives deepened mistrust. High-level bilateral exchanges gradually faded as the US withdrew from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tEarlier this week, however, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce hinted at a bilateral meeting between the two countries without disclosing details. According to Pakistan\u2019s foreign office, Dar and Rubio held detailed discussions on bilateral relations and explored opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, technology and minerals.<\/p>\n
\n\tCounterterrorism and regional peace efforts were also high on the agenda.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPakistan has consistently played a constructive role in advancing peace both regionally and internationally,\u201d Rubio said, according to a statement issued after the meeting.<\/p>\n
\n\tDar responded by reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s commitment to strengthening ties with Washington,.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe wish to broaden and deepen our relationship with the United States across the political, economic and security domains,\u201d he said. \u201cPakistan remains a credible partner for peace, progress and prosperity in the region and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tLast month, President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan\u2019s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for a rare one-on-one lunch at the White House in a visit that followed an intense, four-day India-Pakistan military standoff, which ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDar also paid tribute to Trump for his role in de-escalating the tensions between the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbors.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe revival of military and political dialogue between the two countries comes as Pakistan is also holding trade talks with Washington after the Trump administration imposed 29 percent \u201creciprocal tariffs\u201d on Pakistani exports in April.<\/p>\n
\n\tPakistan\u2019s finance chief, Muhammad Aurangzeb, who also visited Washington this month, said the two countries were working to shift their economic ties \u201cfrom one focused on trade to one anchored in long-term investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter meeting US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Aurangzeb said priority sectors had been identified, including minerals, mining, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency regulation.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDuring Friday\u2019s meeting, Dar also described Pakistan as an attractive destination for US investors and highlighted the role of the Pakistani-American diaspora in strengthening bilateral ties.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe are optimistic about progress in the ongoing trade dialogue,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is alignment between our regional peace objectives and strategic interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tDar is currently on an eight-day visit to the United States, where he kept a busy schedule in New York and chaired several high-profile United Nations Security Council meetings under Pakistan\u2019s rotating presidency this month.<\/p>\n
\n\tHe highlighted the need for multilateralism, peaceful dispute resolution and his country\u2019s own strategic concerns during his engagements at the world body.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"US state secretary meets deputy PM, lauds Pakistan\u2019s global peace role amid thaw in relations
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