US lawmakers vow to cement ties with Pakistan

Ambassador Masood discusses bilateral relations with several senators, congressmen

ISLAMABAD:

Many key US senators and congressmen have reaffirmed their commitment to further cement the Pakistan-US ties and expanding the scope of existing cooperation to trade and investment, renewable energy, climate change and regional security.

In their meetings with Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan during the past week, the US lawmakers discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations with focus on cementing ties in trade and investment, energy and counter-terrorism.

The US lawmakers included Senator Bill Hagerty, Senator Jon Ossoff, Representative Jim Banks, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Representative Jason Crow, according to a statement released by the Press Information Department here.

Ambassador Khan has also written letters to number of US lawmakers, thanking them for their resolute support during the recent vote in the House that rejected a proposed amendment to prohibit assistance to Pakistan under the State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations (SFOFS) Act 2024.

During the meeting with Senator Hagerty, the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen the Pakistan-US relations with a focus on cementing ties in trade and investment, energy and counter-terrorism,” the statement said.

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In the meeting with Ossoff from Georgia, matters relating to sister-province relations between Georgia and Sindh were discussed. In the meeting with Congressman Banks, the co-chair of the Pakistan Congressional Caucus, Khan thanked him for his leadership in the Caucus and his support for Pakistan.

Khan also met with Congresswoman Kaptur, a ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and discussed Pakistan-US cooperation in defence, science and technology, education, renewable energy, climate change, and people-to-people contacts.

After the meeting with the Pakistani ambassador, Congressman Crow tweeted that they discussed strengthening cooperation on regional security, Afghanistan, and economic development. Khan also tweeted after the meeting, saying: “Sought Congressional support for cementing bilateral ties.”

Separately, the ambassador thanked Congressman Mike McCaul, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressman Dean Phillips, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, and Congressman Lance Gooden for their strong support to Pakistan in foiling a move aimed at prohibiting assistance to Pakistan under the SFOPS Act.

The ambassador said in his letter that the assistance earmarked under SFOPS would go to critical areas of cooperation, including economic support, counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, military education training and health programmes.

“In the years to come, we would work harder to promote parliamentary exchanges and strengthen bilateral ties between our two nations. In this endeavor, we would always work with you closely,” stated the ambassador.