Pakistan’s economic success top priority for US: Blinken

The United States said Pakistan’s economic success remains a top priority for Washington and will continue engaging with Islamabad through technical and development initiatives and robust trade and investment ties.

The remarks come as Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Tuesday.

This is the fourth telephone call between Bilawal and Blinken since the FM assumed his responsibilities.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction in their call at the current positive momentum in Pakistan-US ties. They underlined the importance of constructive engagement for promoting the region’s peace, security, and development.

“The Foreign Minister underscored that Pakistan valued its longstanding and broad-based relationship with the US and wished to further deepen the partnership,” the FO said.

“The Foreign Minister noted the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative especially from the perspective of developing countries and concerns regarding food security and inflation, and stressed the need for continued concerted efforts with a view to reviving the deal at the earliest.”

He noted that during the past year, apart from holding six dialogues, the exchange of high-level visits had diversified and solidified the relationship, the press release said.

Bilawal also thanked the US for its support and said that the Standby Arrangement between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would provide “impetus to Pakistan’s economic and development imperatives and that Pakistan was committed to bringing structural reforms in its economy to make it more competitive and attractive for business and foreign investment.”

As per the US State Department, Blinken also welcomed the IMF’s approval of a program and “encouraged continued reforms to promote economic recovery and prosperity.”

“Secretary Blinken underscored the United States’ steadfast commitment to the people of Pakistan, highlighting that the economic success of Pakistan remains a top priority for the United States,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

“Secretary Blinken stressed that democratic principles and respect for the rule of law are central to the US-Pakistan relationship, and these values will continue to guide this partnership forward.

“The Secretary also noted that Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks and affirmed commitment to continued partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism.

“The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed the destabilizing effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the United States and Pakistan’s shared interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan,” the US State Department press release concluded.

In a tweet, the US secretary of state termed their phone call “good,” adding that they discussed “our support for Pakistan’s economic recovery and our shared regional concerns, including Afghanistan.”

Pakistan’s FO also took to Twitter and wrote that Blinken and Bilawal noted the “positive momentum” in Pak-US relations and agreed to remain “constructively engaged to promote peace, security and development.”

US Centcom chief acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace

The phone call between Bilawal and Blinken comes after US Central Command (Centcom) chief General Michael Erik Kurilla also met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.

As per Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), matters of mutual interest, regional security situations, and defence cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

Kurilla also acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan Army’s successes in the fight against terrorism and the continued efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.