WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, held a meeting with Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the powerful US Senate Armed Services Committee, during which he expressed Pakistan’s interest in building on the existing security bonds between the two countries. The meeting took place at the Senate Hart Building on Tuesday. Senator Reed has held several leadership positions in the Senate for the past two decades and now leads the Armed Services Committee. He is also a member of the Intelligence, Appropriations and Banking Committees. He has visited Pakistan many times. On his part, Senator Reed assured the ambassador that the Armed Services Committee would engage with Pakistan to bolster bilateral relations between the two countries During the meeting, Ambassador Masood Khan told Senator Reed, “Pakistan and the US have enjoyed close defence cooperation in the past and would like to build on their existing security bonds,” according to a press release from embassy press release. The Pakistani envoy emphasised that many of the defence platforms used by Pakistan were American, which required sustained support. “New avenues could also be explored, he said, adding, “Our armed forces have coordinated in the past.” “Our two countries would continue to partner with each other in political and economic spheres”, Masood Khan added. According to the press release Masood Khan also briefed the Senator about the situation of regional security and Afghanistan, including the latest efforts to create conditions for stability and prosperity in the neighbourhood. The Ambassador said that economic viability and development were utmost priorities for Pakistan. The engagement with the US had opened new channels and both sides were working to reinforce long-standing broad-based ties between the two countries spanning over more than seven decades. Senator Reed welcomed the Ambassador warmly and expressed the confidence that the long-standing ties between Pakistan and the US would continue to grow as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the press release added. The Ambassador extended an invitation to the Senator to visit Pakistan which he accepted “gladly”, according to the press release.