Photo courtesy U.S. Department of State
Describing his three-day visit to Pakistan as “very productive,” U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet on Sunday said Washington and Islamabad looked forward to strengthening their bilateral relationship in trade, investment, clean energy, health, security, education and other shared priorities.
In a statement issued after the conclusion of his trip—which included meetings with government officials in Islamabad and Karachi—he said he was “honored” to help mark the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the U.S. While in Pakistan, it said, Chollet had discussed a wide range of issues including strengthening trade and investment ties, cooperating to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, advancing the bilateral health partnership, expanding people-to-people connections, and conveying the U.S.’ solidarity with the Pakistani people in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by destructive flooding throughout the country.
It said Chollet and a delegation of senior U.S. government officials from the Department of State, Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the White House National Security Council had visited Islamabad and Karachi from Sept. 7-9 and met senior government officials, civil society members, and private sector leaders. In his various meetings, read the statement, Chollet had offered condolences on behalf of the U.S. on the devastation caused by widespread flooding in Pakistan and emphasized American sympathy and support for people who have lost loved ones, livelihoods, and homes.
Similarly, in his meeting with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chollet discussed the $53.1 million in humanitarian assistance provided by the U.S. to support disaster resilience and flood response, with $50.1 million for emergency flood relief and $3 million in programming provided earlier to bolster disaster resilience. “This funding from the United States will provide Pakistani communities with urgent humanitarian supplies for those most affected, while also building resilience against future natural disasters and helping to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis,” it added.
Meeting with P.M.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chollet discussed strengthening bilateral ties, including increased cooperation on trade and investment, climate, and health. The counselor highlighted the existing bilateral health partnership between the U.S. and Pakistan, particularly America’s commitment to donate more than 77 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan. “In a meeting with Minister of Finance [Miftah] Ismail,” read the statement, “Chollet discussed the importance of entrepreneurship and Pakistan’s economic potential, emphasizing the promise offered by Pakistan’s youth.” It said Chollet had attended a roundtable with civil society representatives in which he heard about their activism in upholding democracy, defending marginalized populations, and empowering women.
During his meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chollet discussed opportunities for the U.S. to support Pakistan’s flood response and U.S.-Pakistan security cooperation. He formally confirmed the U.S. Department of State had formally notified Congress of a $450 million Foreign Military Sales case for sustaining Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, adding this would boost ongoing counterterrorism efforts and help prepare Pakistan for future contingency operations, adding it signifies enduring U.S.-Pakistani partnership.
In Karachi, Chollet met Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and discussed opportunities to expand U.S.-Pakistan commercial partnerships and other shared priorities. They also discussed the extensive damage caused by ongoing flooding and how U.S. assistance is reaching the people in need. The counselor also visited the Jamia Islamia Clifton madrassa operating a distribution center for humanitarian relief and discussed how assistance packages would directly aid the people of the province and the need for unity in this difficult time.
According to the statement, the counselor met several NGOs and individual volunteers to gauge firsthand the enormity of the crisis and learn about ongoing relief efforts.
It said that Chollet had met Karachi Port Trust General Manager Rear Admiral Zubair Shafique and toured Karachi Port to promote Pak-U.S. trade and commercial linkages and international maritime sector cooperation. Emphasizing the depth of existing commercial ties, he noted bilateral trade had reached nearly $9 billion in 2021 and that the U.S. remained Pakistan’s largest single export market and one of its largest sources of foreign investment, with U.S. direct investment growing by 50 percent in the past year.
“In his engagements with Karachi women entrepreneurs and business leaders, he underscored that the United States remains committed to bolstering our economic partnership, increasing bilateral trade, and promoting additional U.S. business and investment in Pakistan through a wide range of cutting-edge services, partnerships, and programs,” read the statement.
The U.S. government, stressed the statement, is dedicated to expanding the full range of trade, security, education, people-to-people, and clean energy and health-related cooperation and ties between the Pakistani and American people to promote a more stable, secure, and prosperous future for both nations.