Skip to main content

US committed to supporting Pakistan in climate management, education: ambassador

ISLAMABAD: Appreciating Pakistan’s contribution to counterterrorism, US Ambassador Donald Blome on Wednesday underlined the US commitment to supporting Pakistan in various areas, including countering regional threats, economic collaboration, renewable energy, climate management and education.

He made these remarks at an international conference titled ‘Strengthening Pakistan-US Relations’ hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with Beaconhouse National University (BNU) Lahore.

Mr Blome discussed the importance of the US-Pakistan relationship, emphasising the long history of partnership and cooperation between the two nations.

He highlighted Washington’s recognition of Pakistan’s potential, particularly its dynamic young population and economic opportunities. He underscored that the US-Pakistan partnership went beyond security and included significant investments in health, trade and development sectors.

Additional Secretary (Americas), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariam Madiha Aftab stated that the US-Pakistan relationship was dynamic and multifaceted, covering areas such as health, trade, defence and energy security.

She emphasised the importance of economic collaboration, security cooperation, educational exchanges and climate change initiatives.

Ms Aftab also addressed regional dynamics, stressing the need for the US to play a crucial role in fostering peace and stability, and called for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions and will of the Kashmiri people.

Director of the Beaconhouse Centre for Policy Research (BCPR) Ambassador Mansoor Khan emphasised the multifaceted nature of Pakistan-US relations, highlighting political, security, defence cooperation and economic ties. He announced the launch of a new undergraduate course on Pakistan-US relations at BNU.

Director of the Centre for Strategic Perspectives at ISSI Dr Neelum Nigar noted the significant contributions of the US to Pakistan’s development in sectors like education, healthcare and climate change.

She stressed the need for mutual respect and cooperation to address contemporary challenges and opportunities.

ISSI Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood provided an extensive overview of the historical and current dynamics of Pakistan-US relations.

He acknowledged the evolving nature of the partnership, with a shift in focus from security to areas like trade, investment, energy and people-to-people exchanges. He noted the cyclical pattern of bilateral relations, shaped by external factors, regional developments and a narrower security-centric focus over the past many decades.

Stressing the importance of realistic expectations, he called for greater attention to Pakistan’s historical role and cumulative power potential in the emerging global order and the need for the US to focus on Pakistan’s preoccupations and interests.

Relating to regional concerns, particularly the impact of the US-India strategic partnership on Pakistan’s security especially within the ‘Indo-Pacific’ construct, he called for a responsive approach from Washington.

The inaugural session concluded with Chairman Board of Governors ISSI Ambassador Khalid Mahmood presenting shields to the chief guest and keynote speaker.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024



from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/LX7OcKy

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ailing Pope Francis to embark on Asia trip, his longest ever, in September

Pope Francis will travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore from September 2-13, the Vatican said on Friday, announcing his first overseas trip of the year and the longest of his 11-year papacy. The Asia trip has been on the papal agenda for some time, but there had been doubts on whether the 87-year-old pontiff would embark on it given his increasing frailty, with a record of skipping engagements due to health problems. His last international journey was a two-day stay in Marseille, France in September. In November, he pulled out of a trip to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai because of a lung inflammation . Francis is now scheduled to be in Jakarta between Sept 3-6, Port Moresby and Vanimo between Sept 6-9, Dili September. 9-11 and Singapore Sept 11-13, his spokesman said in a statement. Vietnam, which had been suggested by the pope and Vatican officials as a possible further destination during the nearly two-week long Asia trip, was not mentioned. In ...

‘A war out there’: Maple Leafs survive shootout thriller in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Whew. They needed this one, even if they didn’t wholly deserve it. For a Monday night in Salt Lake City, the stakes felt unusually high for the sagging, road-weary Toronto Maple Leafs .  Heading into their inaugural game at Delta Center, the Leafs had dropped three straight, blown a couple leads, slipped out of first place, and  distracted  the fan base by propositioning their best player with a trade.  Worse: Their process hasn’t been tight for a couple weeks. Mistakes have crept in. Speed is giving their defence issues. And their razor-sharp goaltenders have begun to look human. Head coach Craig Berube held an intense team meeting Sunday, following Saturday’s 7-4 outclassing in Denver. Multiple players spoke up. Captain Auston Matthews said they’d reached look-in-the-mirror time. “The really bad games have a good way of being the biggest learning experiences,” thoughtful goaltender Joseph Woll said, following Monday’s slump-snuffing, nail-b...

A diary of (near) default - 2023 was a year of economic uncertainty in Pakistan

Despite having little in common, even our political parties could agree on one thing: Pakistan’s economic situation was dire in 2023. The year saw Pakistan go through a long and rocky road to finding some semblance of economic stability — if it can even be called that — while weathering political and social turmoil. Pakistanis also experienced a double whammy this year: the one-two punches of the worst economic crisis in decades and all-time high inflation. Add to that the gut punch of the aftermath of the catastrophic floods of 2022 began to settle in. Flood victims receive boiled rice from relief workers, after taking refuge on a motorway, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Charsadda, Pakistan on August 27, 2022 — Reuters In 2023, according to the World Bank , over 39.4 per cent of the population fell below the poverty line, which means over 12.5 million people are living in meagre conditions. Additionally, 8.5 million people face acute food insecurity due ...