ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Moham­mad Ishaq Dar on Monday held a telephonic conversation with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, acco­r­­ding to an official statement.

The two leaders discussed a range of bilateral matters and exchanged views on current regional and international issues, according to a Foreign Office (FO) statement.

Both sides agreed to remain in contact and continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest, it added.

The deputy premier’s talk with Secretary Rubio comes amid a renewed push for improved relations between the two countries.

Last month, Mr Dar held talks with Rubio at the State Department in their first in-person meeting, accompanied by Pakistan’s Ambas­sador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh and senior officials. Talks covered a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, technology, and minerals.

In June, US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief for an unprecedented lunch at the White House, where the two sides discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and other strategic issues.

Only last week, Pakistan announced it had finalised a “landmark” trade deal with the United States, aimed at reducing tariffs and strengthening economic cooperation.

Trump separately unveiled a partnership to help develop Pakistan’s oil reserves.

He announced the new deal with Pakistan for the joint development of Pakistan’s oil reserves, calling it part of broader trade discussions between the two countries.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US is in the process of selecting a company to lead the project and jokingly added that Pakistan might eventually sell oil to India.

With input from agencies

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025