ISLAMABAD: United States Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie A Baker on Wednesday, reinforced that the US-Pakistan partnership would not only continue but extended to the economic realm and highlighted the significant opportunities for American investment in Pakistan’s energy landscape.

“The United States is committed to working with Pakistan. The US Embassy will actively facilitate direct linkages between American companies and their Pakistani counterparts in the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector to unlock this potential,” Ms Baker stated.

“There is a strong and growing interest from US companies in Pakistan’s oil, gas, and minerals sectors, in line with the vision of President Trump,” she added.

The US Embassy official had a meeting with Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik at the Ministry of Petroleum here on Wednesday.

The high-level discussion focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the United States and Pakistan in the energy sector, with particular emphasis on the oil, gas, and minerals sectors.

Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik appreciated the keen interest from US investors and detailed the upcoming opportunities.

“The Government of Pakistan is undertaking a bidding round for both offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration blocks, which presents a tremendous opportunity for international partners,” the minister stated.

He said that Pakistan possesses huge untapped potential, especially shale oil and gas and converting these indigenous resources into tangible reserves is a target of the government. “We are already engaged in a positive information exchange with US companies,” he said.

Both officials commended the success of the recent “Direct Line” webinar, an initiative organised to connect US companies with opportunities in Pakistan’s mineral sector, citing it as a model for future engagement in the oil and gas sector also.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen the energy partnership, leveraging US technology and investment to support mutual economic and energy growth.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025