Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is currently in Washington attending World Bank-IMF Spring meetings being held from April 15 to 20, met with US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, the man at the center of the “cipher controversy”, alongside other US officials on Wednesday.

As per a press statement released by the Ministry of Finance, Donald Lu and Elizabeth Horst, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of US State Department met the finance minister at World Bank headquarters to underline the political will in Washington to strengthen Pak-US ties.

“The emphasis during the meeting was on upgrading economic partnerships, with special emphasis on alternate energy, agriculture, climate resilience, and tech industry,” read the statement.

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During the meeting, Aurangzeb briefed the US officials on Pakistan’s reform agenda encompassing broadening the tax base, streamlining the energy sector and fast-tracking the privatization process of state-owned enterprises.

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“He identified emerging opportunities for American investments in IT, renewables, agriculture and minerals extraction,” read the statement.

The finance minister said Pakistan will work closely with US International Development Finance Corporation and Exim Bank.

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Last month, in testimony before a Congressional panel, Donald Lu rejected former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s allegation that the US was involved in his ouster from power.

In a separate meeting, Aurangzeb met with the Pakistan Staff Association of World Bank-IMF.

“The minister briefed them on the government’s reform agenda focused on the expansion of tax base, energy sector reforms, digitalization, privatization, promotion of public-private partnerships, and strict adherence to fiscal discipline to revive Pakistan’s economy and drive sustainable growth,” read the ministry’s statement.