US wants ‘expanded ties’ with Pakistan, Blinken assures Bilawal

FM Bilawal assures Blinken Islamabad will create investment opportunities back home

ISLAMABAD:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday told Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari that the administration of American President Joe Biden was looking forward to working with the new government in Pakistan and discussed “expanding partnership” between the two countries.

The meeting took place in New York on the sidelines of the food security meeting that the US is hosting in collaboration with the UN.

This was the first high-level face to face contact between Pakistan and the US since the change of government in Islamabad. It was also the first meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries since September last year.

The meeting between Bilawal and Blinken came against the backdrop of strained ties between Pakistan and the US. The relationship during the PTI government between the two countries remained tense and there had been further dip in ties when former premier Imran Khan directly held the US responsible for his ouster.

Had a very productive meeting with @SecBlinken in NY
We reaffirmed the importance of the 7️⃣5️⃣th Anniversary of 🇵🇰🇺🇸 relations and mutual commitment to strengthen broad based , comprehensive 🇵🇰🇺🇸 ties#PakUSAt75 pic.twitter.com/ne0ZotM95o

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) May 18, 2022

Imran has kept telling his supporters that he was removed from power through a vote of no-confidence as part of a US-orchestrated plot. The former premier is adamant that the US was not happy with his “independent foreign policy” and hence hatched a conspiracy against him.

However, the meeting in New York between Bilawal and Blinken did not suggest if there was any rift between the two countries. Before they went into the huddle, Secretary Blinken was quite upbeat about working with the new government in Pakistan.

In his opening remarks, Blinken said the US was keen to expand partnership with Pakistan on a range of issues covering economy as well as regional security issues.

According to a State Department statement, Blinken met with Bilawal to affirm the shared desire for a strong and prosperous bilateral relationship.

.@BBhuttoZardari and I reaffirmed our shared desire for a strong and prosperous U.S.-Pakistani bilateral relationship. I look forward to expanding our cooperation on climate, trade and investment, and regional peace and security issues. pic.twitter.com/bFhGZFsNxg

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 18, 2022

“The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed expanding partnership in climate, investment, trade, and health as well as people-to-people ties,” it added.

It further said the two foreign ministers underscored the importance of US-Pakistan cooperation on regional peace, counterterrorism, Afghan stability, support for Ukraine, and democratic principles.

Read more: Bilawal meets Blinken today to reset ties

The secretary welcomed Pakistan’s chairmanship of the G77 and commitment to advancing climate action and global food security.

Foreign Minister Bilawal also stressed the need for increased cooperation between the two countries, assuring his US counterpart that Pakistan would create opportunities for American investors to do business in the South Asian country.

Bilawal also met with UN Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres at the global body’s headquarters in New York.

The foreign minister underscored the importance attached to multilateralism and UN in Pakistan’s foreign policy.

He said Pakistan firmly adhered to the principles of the UN Charter and had always supported solutions to global issues in accordance with them.

The foreign minister added that as the current chair of the G77 and China, Pakistan welcomed the support of the UN secretary general to the objectives pursued by the developing countries at the global organisation.

He particularly emphasised the need to advance the attainment of the first two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at ending poverty and hunger.

On the situation in Ukraine, the foreign minister appreciated the UN secretary general’s efforts to promote a negotiated solution and shared Pakistan’s perspective.

The foreign minister highlighted the grim situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) marked by grave violations of human rights and illegal demographic changes.

He emphasised that Pakistan desired peace with all its neighbours, including India, which would continue to remain elusive unless the Kashmir dispute was resolved in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

.@SecBlinken and Foreign Minister @BBhuttoZardari met today to discuss the importance of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation including on increasing Afghan stability, counterterrorism, expanding trade, and bringing together Pakistanis and Americans. #PakUSAt75 https://t.co/7V6MpGQb7S

— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) May 18, 2022

Bilawal also lauded the secretary general’s commitment to combat Islamophobia and also reaffirmed the resolve to work closely with him in this endeavour including in Pakistan’s capacity as the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers.

The foreign minister appreciated the UN secretary general’s role in mobilising humanitarian and economic assistance for the Afghan people.

He also shared Islamabad’s concerns about the spillover of instability in Afghanistan into Pakistan.

He added that the international community must address the urgent humanitarian needs and avoid a complete collapse of the economy in Afghanistan that would have dire consequences for ordinary people in that country.