Islamabad, Jul 2 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday in a telephonic conversation congratulated the US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome for presenting his credentials to President Arif Alvi and expressed hope that he would devote his efforts to deepening and enhancing bilateral ties between the two countries.
Ambassador Blome, who arrived in Pakistan in May, has taken over the charge of the US mission at a time of unique challenges and opportunities in bilateral ties.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Ambassador on his presentation of credentials and expressed hope that he would devote his efforts to deepening and enhancing bilateral ties between the US and Pakistan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Blome is the first full-time American envoy in Islamabad after a gap of almost four years.
Sharif highlighted the historic, longstanding ties between the two countries and underscored Pakistan’s desire to further develop this relationship on the basis of mutual respect, trust, and interest .
Recalling the depth and breadth of the Pakistan-US relationship, Sharif underlined that various dialogues established between Pakistan and US have been playing a critical role in strengthening our bilateral ties in the areas of trade, investment, IT, climate change, health, energy, it said.
Ambassador Blome called Sharif after presenting his credentials to President Alvi.
During the conversation, the premier also emphasised that given Pakistan’s economic and demographic potential, US companies needed to be encouraged by the Development Finance Corporation of the US to invest in Pakistan’s market.
Since this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and the US, the premier hoped that both countries would celebrate this historic occasion in a befitting manner, which would further deepen bilateral and people-to-people ties.
He also stressed the need to have more exchanges at a high level between the two countries.
Ambassador Blome thanked Pakistan for its prompt and effective assistance in facilitating the evacuation from Afghanistan.
In this context, the Prime Minister also emphasised that the deepening of cooperation between Pakistan and the US would promote peace and stability in Afghanistan and contribute to averting the humanitarian crisis in that country, which had been further exacerbated by the recent earthquake.
Sharif also conveyed his good wishes to the people and government of the United States on their 246th Independence Day.
Ambassador Blome thanked the Prime Minister for receiving him and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to further strengthening and reinforcing Pakistan-US ties.
Though anti-American sentiments run deep in Pakistani society, the feelings got inflamed after former Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged that he was ousted through a US conspiracy for regime change and ran a mass campaign calling for freedom’ from slaves of foreign powers’.
Khan was ousted through a no-trust vote on April 10.
The US repeatedly refuted Khan’s allegations.
This heightened anti-American sentiment has, therefore, become the foremost challenge for Washington in executing its foreign policy goals in Pakistan.
Blome, in an interview with the Dawn newspaper, reiterated the rejection of Khan’s regime change’ allegation and said Washington was very clear about that.
However, I think the best thing we can do going forward is to keep engaging across all levels of Pakistani society, as we have for the past 75 years! he said, adding the engagement wouldn’t be limited just to the government but will extend to political leaders, the business community, civil society, and the youth.
In this two-way communication, he said, he will listen to and understand what’s happening here and convey that understanding to Washington and at the same time share US’ views and positions as clearly and as transparently as possible with audiences here.
Beyond polarisation in the domestic politics on ties with the US, the new government in Islamabad has been open to revitalising bilateral relations, the newspaper said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met on the sidelines of a food security conference in New York on May 18, which was the first highest-level face-to-face contact between the two sides in months.
The ambassador recalled the partnership between the two countries against the global COVID-19 pandemic as a good example of cooperation on health.
The US had donated more than 61 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, USD 69 million in financial support, and an additional USD 9 million in assistance to support Pakistan’s fight against the pandemic.
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