Stable & secure Pakistan key to ensuring broader regional stability: US Envoy

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The US Ambassador Donald Blome has said that a stable and secure Pakistan is key to ensuring broader regional stability, and we want to help advance that shared objective.

In his remarks at the “International Conference on Strengthening Pakistan-US Relations” organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Wednesday, the US ambassador said that the United States is committed to seeing its partnership with Pakistan succeed and flourish, which is why we have invested so much in it over the years.

Describing the US-Pakistan economic partnership as one of the cornerstones of their relationship, the ambassador said that the significance of our economic ties is evident in our trade relations. He said that the United States is Pakistan’s largest export market globally, and last year alone bilateral trade between them exceeded US$ 9 billion, a testament to the robust economic relationship we share.

It bears noting that Pakistan runs about a US$ 3 billion trade surplus with the United States, he said.

However, he added, sustaining and growing this long-term relationship faces additional headwinds as Pakistan’s economy sits at a critical juncture.

Ambassador Donald Blome said that we recognize the need for serious economic reforms – implemented courageously and purposefully. He said that we fully support Pakistan’s work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to develop a sustainable approach to its budget and fiscal challenges, and Pakistan has made important progress on this front in recent days.

Ultimately, Pakistan needs to solve the problem of generating economic growth, which will only come through unleashing the creativity and energy of its private sector, he added.

Spelling out the US’s contributions to Pakistan’s development, he said that we are launching a new climate-smart agriculture program this summer to help farming families adapt and prepare the agriculture sector for a new era of sustainability and improved water management.

“We need to collaborate and innovate with partners around the world if we are going to solve this collective problem. We want to have Pakistan as our partner in this challenge, and we see tremendous potential in this area that will benefit our countries for some time to come,” he said.