ISLAMABAD: Care­taker Foreign Mini­ster Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday underscored the need for building on the newly gained momentum in relations between Pak­istan and the United States.

He stated this during a meeting with US Amba­ssador to Pakistan Donald Blome, which served as a follow-up to recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, including Army Chief Gen Asim Munir’s visit to the United States.

The Foreign Office said the meeting focused on “major aspects of bilateral relations”, though specific details were not disclosed. However, it was mentioned that Gen Munir’s recent visit to the US was a topic of discussion.

The US Embassy, meanwhile, revealed that the dialogue covered a range of crucial bilateral issues, including expanded diplomatic engagement, the resettlement of Afghan citizens to the United States, and other mutual interests.

In 2023, Pakistan-US relations have been characterised by a mix of security cooperation, economic inte­ractions and diplomatic engagements, alongside occa­sional tensions. Desp­ite the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and resultant challenges, the two countries have continued cooperation in various fields, including health, clean energy, disaster response, trade and investments.

However, the bilateral relationship has also faced challenges. For instance, US President Joe Biden’s lack of direct engagement with Pakistani leaders and his critical remarks about Pakistan in 2022 had caused some strain.

Despite these complexities, recent months have seen a series of high-level diplomatic engagements and dialogues focusing on trade, energy, education and defence, indicatingefforts to restore and enhance bilateral relations.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024