United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Saturday said that Pakistan and the US have a long-standing partnership and rich history of relations. In a video message released by the US Embassy, Blome said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Pakistan. Our relationship began 75 years ago, very shortly after Pakistan gained its independence.” He added: “We live today in a world full of challenges. We can address those challenges most effectively by working together, side by side.” The US envoy further said that he looks forward to deepening the connections between the Pakistani and American people, which have a rich history, and an even brighter future. He also expressed his interest in exploring Pakistan, from Karachi to Lahore, Peshawar to Gilgit-Baltistan, and all places in between. He had first encounter with Pakistan’s historic jingle trucks and learned about the art and the artists who have made this a distinct and characteristic art form in Pakistan. Last month, Blome took oath as new US ambassador to Pakistan. He got approval for the position from US Senate in March. The US State Department, in a statement, had said that the partnership with Pakistan was a “key to progress on regional security, trade, investment, the climate crisis and human rights”. Blome is the first full-time ambassador to Pakistan since August 2018 when American envoy David Hale returned home after completing his term.