WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan confirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations, with both sides focusing on the need to transform political goodwill into concrete economic and strategic cooperation.
In this regard, the renewed engagement came during a meeting between the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S. Paul Kapur and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, at the State Department.
The discussion, described as cordial and forward-looking, indicated the first high-level contact since Kapur assumed office on October 22.
In this sense, the Ambassador Sheikh said the meeting focused on translating the leadership-level resolve into “an economically entrenched strategic partnership” through sustained engagement across multiple areas of mutual interest.
“We discussed practical ways to advance the shared goal of developing Pakistan–US ties into a robust economic partnership,”
Furthermore, the Kapur echoed the sentiment, describing it as “a pleasure” to meet the Pakistani envoy.
“We discussed ways to advance the US–Pakistan relationship and make our countries more prosperous and secure,” he stated.
Moreover, the meeting comes as Washington and Islamabad amend their relationship under US President Donald Trump’s second administration.
After years of uneven engagement and intermittent mistrust, both countries are looking around to build a more balanced partnership that goes beyond traditional security cooperation to include trade, investment, and regional connectivity.
The US officials have underlined Pakistan’s potential role in promoting regional stability and contributing to energy and infrastructure development in South and Central Asia.
The Trump administration has also encouraged American businesses to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s mineral, technology, and infrastructure sectors.
The evolving tone in Washington presents a chance to diversify its partnerships, and the Trump administration appears keen to reduce Pakistan’s economic dependence on China.
Last month, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington viewed Pakistan as an important partner in its South Asia strategy but clarified that the renewed ties would not affect its relationship with India.
