Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Photo: INP
WASHINGTON:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, where both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and economic activities as well as mutual cooperation to fight terrorism.
During the meeting, the two sides emphasized the importance of Pakistan-US strategic relations and expressed satisfaction with the momentum and positive trajectory of the partnership under the leadership of President Trump.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, a press release issued by the PM House Media Wing said on Friday.
The Prime Minister congratulated President Donald Trump and Secretary Rubio on the successful inaugural meeting of the Peace Council and reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to work with the Peace Council for the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan.
He emphasized the importance of continued high-level engagement between Pakistan and the United States to advance common goals in a rapidly evolving global environment.
Meanwhile, Secretary Rubio, in a press release issued by the US State Department, thanked Pakistan for its continued support for President Trump’s Gaza peace plan and for attending the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace as a founding member.
He also condoled the horrific attacks of 31 January in Balochistan and the devastating bombing of 6 February in Islamabad and reaffirmed the importance of our continued partnership in the fight against terrorism.
The Secretary welcomed Pakistan’s participation in the recent Ministerial Meeting on Critical Minerals in Washington.
The officials discussed development of critical minerals and the energy sector, as well as commercial investment opportunities for US companies.
“Met today with the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Shehbaz Sharif). Appreciate Pakistan’s continued support for @POTUS’s Gaza peace plan and for joining the Peace Council. In our meeting we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship to critical minerals development and counterterrorism,” Rubio said in a social media post on ‘X’.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also wrote the X to thank Marco Rubio, saying “Pakistan values its longstanding relationship with the United States and appreciates the meaningful discussions we had today on promoting peace, cooperating in the fight against terrorism, and expanding bilateral economic and trade ties. We look forward to further strengthening our strategic partnership in all areas of mutual interest”.
