Wants to further strengthen maritime security cooperation with Pak Navy: US envoy
US Ambassador Donald Blome has said that America is Pakistan’s largest bilateral trade partner, and American investment increased by more than 50% last year. Ambassador Donald Blome has denied that the United States is pressing Pakistan to choose between the US and China.
The ambassador was in Karachi over the past few days, where he also attended an event organized on the occasion of the US’s 247th independence day on July 4. He was accompanied by Consul General in Karachi Nicole Theriot. The event was also attended by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Governor Kamran Tesori. The ambassador also engaged with government officials, the American Business Council, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations, and the Pakistan Naval Academy. “I am thankful for the opportunity to serve this remarkable country,” Ambassador Blome said at the event. He added that Americans and Pakistanis had a lot in common, and there are many shared achievements to be proud of.He further said that together, the two counties can work towards a more stable, greener and more prosperous future.
The trade must also be equitable and our message to China is to go forward with fair trade terms and Pakistan should demand the same from its economic relationships, he added. He said that for the last four decades, many policy makers in Washington have viewed Pakistan with the lens of US engagement in Afghanistan. More recently, some commentators try to frame the US relationship with Pakistan in perspective of China or India or Russia, he said and added that it should stand on its own. The US engagement with Pakistan remained very strong, he continued. The ambassador saw Pakistan’s economic future bright as an engine of a larger regional economy, connecting South and Central Asia.
He hinted at potential of an improved economic relationship with India. He said that on a regional level the US would like to reaffirm its commitment to partner with Pakistan to eliminate terrorism, countering emerging terrorist threats and addressing the roots of instability in this region. He said that more than 2,000 Pakistani officers have gone on US-funded military education and training programmes and Pakistan is among the top two countries in the world for participation in US military exchanges. Ambassador Blome said the International Monetary Fund is an independent institution that works within its policy framework, but the US wants to see Pakistan’s programme with the IMF a success. He identified the economic issue as a major problem of Pakistan, saying that Washington is keen to see resolution of this problem.
He said the trade ties between Pakistan and the US had been growing with the passage of time, recalling that the US had donated 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan during the pandemic.He expressed the hope that the ties between the two countries would further flourish.
