LAHORE: The US Consul General, William K Makaneole, paid a farewell call to the Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday in which bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest came under discussion.
The US consul general paid a tribute to the people of Punjab and expressed his thoughts about his visits to 32 districts.
The caretaker Punjab CM said, “William K Makaneole rendered valuable services for the promotion of bilateral relations and the cooperation of the US institutions including USAID in health and other sectors is worthy of praise.” He added that the Central Business District Authority is working for the establishment of a diplomatic enclave.
The US consul general said that Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team had been doing excellent work.
“The charm of Punjab and remote areas will always be remembered. My participation in the Independence Day celebrations with wife will be a memory,” he added.
The US diplomat also called on Governor Punjab, Muhammad Balighur Rehman, here at Governor House and discussed issues of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation in various fields, including education and trade.
The governor appreciated the diplomatic efforts of outgoing US Consul General in improving Pakistan-US relations. He also lauded William K Makaneole's active role in the agreement of declaring State of California and Punjab as sister state.
“Pakistan's relations with the United States constitute an important element of its foreign policy and the US cooperation with Pakistan in various fields is commendable, especially in the field of education and health,” he said, adding: “Bilateral trade between the two countries needs to be expanded further.”
He further said that US remains Pakistan's largest export market, adding that we need to further diversify our trade and investment relationship.
He said that people to people contact is very important.
He said that US is giving Fulbright scholarship and other educational scholarships to Pakistani students in the field of education. He expressed hope that America will increase the number of scholarships for Pakistani students.
The governor further that climate change is a very important issue at the international level; Pakistan had to face devastating flash floods due to climate change.
“Environmental changes are also having a major impact on Pakistan's agriculture,” he said, adding: “As chancellor, he has formed a consortium on environment.”
He said that the government has taken various steps including establishment of women's universities to empower women and bring them into the stream of development. He said that the representation of women in various fields is increasing in Pakistan. He said that Pakistani women are working side by side with men in every walk of life, and are contributing to the development of the country.
Moreover, US Consul General William K Makaniol, accompanied by his wife, paid a courtesy visit to Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf at the Gaddafi Stadium.
The meeting was held in a cordial manner, where in a gesture of solidarity, the US consul general pledged the support of the United States government for the handicapped cricket team in Pakistan.
Zaka Ashraf extended his best wishes to the US Consul General for his future endeavours, and emphasised the significance of sports diplomacy in developing good relations between both countries.
In return, the US consul general expressed his wishes to Zaka Ashraf and the PCB for the upcoming events.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.