WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met President of the United States of America to discuss the matters of bilateral interests and exchange view on regional and international issues.
According to the PM Office press release intimating the start of the high-profile meeting, the prime minister was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
“The meeting has begun at the White House between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, US President Donald Trump, and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The meeting is proceeding in a cordial atmosphere,” the statement added.
US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined the meeting.
Ahead of the meeting, President Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for the way they were leading Pakistan.
While speaking to reporters at his office at a ceremony to sign executive orders, he mentioned that he was about to meet Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
“In fact, we have a great leader coming. We have the Prime Minister of Pakistan coming and the Field Marshal. The Field Marshal is a very great guy and so is the Prime Minister,” he remarked.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, who is visiting US primarily to attend the 80th UN General Assembly session traveled to Washington for this high-profile meeting and is scheduled to return to New York to address the UNGA on Friday.
As the prime minister, accompanied by a Pakistani delegation, arrived in Washington, DC for the meeting, he was warmly welcomed at Andrews Air Base with a red-carpet reception by a senior US Air Force official. His motorcade departed the airbase under stringent US security measures.
Earlier on Tuesday in New York, both leaders held an “informal meeting with pleasant exchange of greetings” at the conclusion of the Arab-Islamic summit hosted by President Trump and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Than in New York. The meeting was marked by a “warm handshake and a candid conversation.”, the PM Office said.
Recently, during his ongoing US visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz while talking to the media, praised President Trump and his team for playing a significant role in the ceasefire between Pakistan and India.
“President Donald Trump is a man of peace. He, along with his team, played a key role in bringing about the ceasefire between Pakistan and India,” said PM Sharif.
The meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Trump comes weeks after a high-level US delegation including renowned global companies in the mining and infrastructure sector visited Pakistan and two MoUs focusing in development and processing of critical minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs), were signed between the two governments on September 8. –Agencies
