WASHINGTON:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued willingness to play a constructive role in mediating conversations with Iran and its commitment to preserving regional stability during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
“The two also discussed prospects for deepening bilateral counterterrorism cooperation, including countering ISIS-K, and the upcoming US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad this August,” the State Department said in the readout of the meeting.
“The Secretary underscored the importance of expanding mutually beneficial bilateral trade and exploring prospects for enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals and mining sectors,” it added.
In a post on X, Dar described the meeting as “a comprehensive discussion on the full spectrum of bilateral relations,” reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to a long-term partnership with the US. He said the talks included a renewed focus on economic, trade, investment, IT/AI, and counterterrorism cooperation.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the United States and Pakistan were “very close” to a trade deal that could come within days, but comments from the US after Dar met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned no timeline.
“I think we are very close to finalising a deal with US. Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now,” Dar said in a discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
“It’s not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say (just) days,” he said. -Agencies
