Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome. Photo courtesy Foreign Office
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Monday called on Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and President Asif Ali Zardari, assuring both leaders of his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between Islamabad and Washington.
An official statement issued by the Foreign Office said Blome had congratulated Dar on assuming the charge of foreign minister and discussed progress in diverse fields, as well as means to further enhance bilateral ties. It said the officials had also exchanged views on U.S. support for economic reforms, as well as the enduring significance of the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance framework.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson further said Blome had expressed Washington’s resolve to work with Islamabad, stressing Pakistan’s security and prosperity was a top priority for the U.S.
Also on Monday, the U.S. envoy called on President Asif Ali Zardari and congratulated him on assuming the office for a second time. According to a statement issued by the President’s Office, Zardari stressed on the need to enhance trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the U.S., in addition to exploring collaborative opportunities in diverse sectors.
“American enterprises should be encouraged to invest in the Pakistan Stock Exchange as well as bring innovate business ideas to the country’s economy,” he said, stressing on the need to further strengthen ties between Pakistan and the U.S. in line with their broad-based relationship spanning over seven decades.
“The top priority of Pakistan is to put its economy on the right track and overcome economic and security challenges,” Zardari told Blome, while also highlighting the threat posed by climate change, as Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to its adverse impacts.
According to the statement, the ambassador said Pakistan and the U.S. could enhance bilateral collaboration in the fields of trade and investment, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture and security. He also said the U.S. had completed the Sindh Basic Education Program to build climate-resilient schools to strengthen Pakistan’s education sector.
The U.S. ambassador has been visiting various officials of the new government since the Feb. 8 general elections. Last week, he met National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.