Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, met with Paul Kapur, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department, to discuss opportunities for enhancing bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.
During the meeting, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh congratulated Kapur on his new appointment.
The Ambassador stated that both sides discussed ways and possibilities of transforming the Pakistan-US relationship into an economically robust strategic partnership, reflecting the commitment shown at the leadership level. This transformation, he added, would be made possible through continuous consultations in various sectors of mutual interest.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur posted on social media that he had a pleasant meeting with the Pakistani Ambassador, during which they discussed ways to advance the US-Pakistan relationship and make both countries more prosperous and secure.
This meeting comes as both countries are exploring opportunities for deeper collaboration in the fields of economic development and security cooperation.
Earlier this year, the US administration entered into an agreement with Pakistan under which Washington would work with Islamabad on the development of the South Asian country’s oil reserves.
Islamabad termed the agreement a symbol of a broader partnership with Washington. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who led the final round of negotiations, said that the agreement is part of a larger economic and strategic deal.
Muhammad Aurangzeb stated, “In our view, this has always gone beyond the immediate commercial necessity; the purpose was and remains to increase trade and investment together.”
Following the declaration, the US administration imposed a minimum tariff of 19% on Pakistani products. The initial tariff proposed was 29%.
