KARACHI: Ambassador Donald Blome has denied that United States is pressing Pakistan to choose between US and China. Speaking at an interactive session on ‘US-Pakistan Relations: Present and Future’ organised by Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations (PCFR) here Ambassador Blome opined that trade among partners was key towards economic prosperity. Trade must also be equitable and our message to China is to go forward with fair trade terms and Pakistan should demand same from its economic relationships, he added.

He said that for last four decades, many policy makers in Washington have viewed Pakistan with lens of US engagement in Afghanistan.

More recently, some commentators try to frame US relationship with Pakistan in perspective of China or India or Russia, he said and added that it should stand on its own.

US engagement with Pakistan remained very strong, he continued. Ambassador saw Pakistan’s economic future bright as an engine of larger regional economy, connecting South and Central Asia.

He hinted at potential of an improved economic relationship with India. He said that on regional level US would like to reaffirm its commitment to partner with Pakistan to eliminate terrorism, countering emerging terrorist threats and addressing roots of instability in this region. He said that more than 2,000 Pakistani officers have gone on US-funded military education and training programmes and Pakistan is among top two countries in world for participation in US military exchanges. Ambassador Blome said International Monetary Fund is an independent institution that works within its policy framework, but US wants to see Pakistan’s programme with IMF success.

He identified economic issue as major problem of Pakistan, saying that Washington is keen to see resolution of this problem.

He said trade ties between Pakistan and US had been growing with passage of time, recalling that US had donated 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan during endemic. He expressed hope that ties between two countries would further flourish.

Published in The Daily National Courier, June, 26 2023

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