Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday met US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla at the Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ) and discussed matters of mutual interest.

According to a statement by the military's media wing, the Centcom commander had a one-on-one meeting with the army chief.

"Matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, and stability, defence and security cooperation particularly military to military ties were discussed during the meeting," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

It stated that the one-on-one call was followed by a delegation-level meeting in which Pakistan Army’s counter-terrorism efforts and significant contributions toward regional peace and stability were discussed.

The Pakistan-US military training exchange programme also came under discussion.

"The visiting dignitary acknowledged Pakistan Army’s commendable efforts in the fight against terrorism, counter-terrorism experiences, and efforts for regional peace and stability," the ISPR said, adding the visiting dignitary also visited Army Museum and took a keen interest in various historical enclosures.

Earlier, diplomatic sources told Dawn that the United States and Pakistani officials were considering various options army chief's visit to the United States in late August or early September.

Last month, Gen Bajwa had also reached out to Washington to request help in securing an early disbursement of funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He spoke with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and later a State Department official rejected media speculations that the call was linked to the current political situation in Pakistan.

Later, Gen Bajwa also spoke with Commander US Centcom Gen Michael Erik Kurilla and, according to an official statement, the two discussed “matters of mutual interests, regional stability as well as defence and security cooperation in detail.”