Outgoing United States (US) Ambassador David Hale during a farewell visit to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office said that there was great interest in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s reform agenda in the US.
Hale told the foreign minister that this, along with a “readiness to turn the page”, were the objectives of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s upcoming visit to Pakistan, a statement issued by the FO spokesperson’s office said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored the importance of Pakistan’s longstanding relations with the US and said that he looked forward to welcoming US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Islamabad.
Qureshi assured Ambassador Hale that his interactions with US leadership would be based on honesty and sincerity so as to develop a sustained partnership in the interest of both countries.
He thanked Ambassador Hale for his services in Pakistan and congratulated him on in his next assignment as Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the US State Department, the press release said.
He expressed the hope that as someone who understood Pakistan and the region, Hale would be able to play a positive role in strengthening of bilateral relations and for peace and prosperity in the region.
Ambassador Hale thanked Qureshi and acknowledged the foreign minister’s role in bilateral relations in his earlier tenure and thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the cordiality and cooperation extended to him during his assignment in Pakistan.
Hale also paid a farewell visit to PM Khan, which Qureshi also attended, media reported.
