WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s relationship with the United States is at its strongest in decades even as Islamabad takes on a more prominent role in a changing regional security architecture, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said on Saturday evening.

While addressing the annual dinner of the Pakistani-American Press Association, Ambassador Sheikh described the current state of Pakistan-US relations as unusually positive after decades of sharp swings between cooperation and confrontation, but cautioned against complacency.

He said improved political and strategic ties needed to be translated into a durable partnership, particularly its economic component.

The comments came only a day after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement. For Pakistan, the challenge is to manage these expanding regional relationships while maintaining its increasingly important relationship with Washington, though the remarks suggest Islamabad sees no contradiction in maintaining good ties with the US and regional powers.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026