ISLAMABAD Pakistan emphasized on Tuesday the importance of maintaining the momentum built up over the previous year and strengthening ties with the US in 2024.
Today’s discussion between US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani resulted in a renewal of that promise.
According to an official statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jilani and Blome held discussions centered on certain significant elements of bilateral relations, including the recent visit of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir to the United States.
The acting foreign minister emphasized that both nations should keep advancing their recent exchanges and the momentum they have created in their relations in 2024.
The US Mission Acting Spokesperson Thomas Montgomery said in a statement that Blome and Pakistan’s top diplomat met and discussed a wide range of important bilateral issues, including expanded diplomatic engagement and the safe and efficient processing of Afghan citizens eligible for resettlement to the US.
In order to explore possible areas of bilateral and regional cooperation, Gen. Munir visited the US for the first time as army commander last month. During his two days there, he met with influential military and political figures.
Additionally, the COAS met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon to talk about developments in regional security and possible areas of bilateral defense cooperation.
During COAS Munir’s visit, a representative for the US Department of State said that “we engage with a wide range of interlocutors within the Pakistani government” and that Pakistan was a key partner.
