Daily Times

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Masood Khan, has said that Islamabad and Washington are engaged in strengthening their relationship in all spheres, including defence cooperation. He made that statement while briefing a 15-member delegation of Pakistan’s National Defence University (NDU) now visiting the United States.

The NDU delegation, comprising senior officers from Pakistan’s Armed Forces and Civil Service as well as allied officers from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, visited the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC on Monday.

“While promoting military-to-military and security cooperation, equal importance is being given to expand ties in the trade, investment, climate, health, energy and education sectors,” the Pakistani envoy said.

“There is immense connectivity between Pakistan and United States spanning 75 years; our shared objective is to maximize its potential,” he added. The Ambassador hailed the delegation’s trip as an “ice breaker” after a three-year hiatus in such visits due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After giving the history and current status of Pakistan-US bilateral relations as well as Pakistan’s perspective on important regional and global issues, Masood Khan said that the two countries will continue to work on the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and averting the humanitarian crisis in the country. They are also working on providing a solid base to the bilateral relationship by tapping the immense potential in the economic, trade, defence, education, IT, climate change, energy and cultural fields.

“The longstanding Pakistan-US relations, cemented by the dynamic Pakistani-American diaspora, would be further strengthened by investment in the tech, agriculture and health sectors.”

The Ambassador underlined the urgent need for proactive diplomacy to resolve the ongoing Ukraine crisis. The humanitarian crisis, deteriorating by the day has become a global crisis for which a collective response is required in line with the purposes and principles of United Nation’s Charter, Masood Khan said.

The briefing was followed by an interactive session during which the Ambassador answered questions from the delegation members on a wide range of issues.

Responding to a question, Masood Khan said Pakistan has always worked for creating conditions for peace and stability in the region. For that purpose, he said, it would be imperative to resolve outstanding issues on the basis of international law and justice.

During their weeklong stay in Washington DC, the NDU delegation will visit various US defence and civil institutions.