In first call with FM Dar, US secretary of state expresses desire to boost counterterrorism cooperation
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the pair’s first phone call, where America’s top diplomat expressed interest in deepening cooperation in a variety of sectors, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
According to the statement, Dar held the call — the first between the pair — and discussed bilateral relations, regional security and economic cooperation with his American counterpart.
“During the call, DPM (Deputy Prime Minister)/FM Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the United States,” the statement read. “He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and counter-terrorism.”
The FO added that Rubio reciprocated Dar’s wish for greater trade and investment in various sectors, particularly in “critical minerals”.
“He said that cooperation in economy and trade would be the hallmark of future relations between the two countries,” the statement read, referring to the secretary of state.
According to the statement, Dar highlighted Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts between 2013 and 2018, with Rubio appreciating Pakistan’s fight against terrorism and expressing the US’s “desire to further enhance counterterrorism cooperation”.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, with Secretary Rubio agreeing “on the need to resolve the issue of US military equipment left behind” in the country following their withdrawal in 2021.
“DPM/FM Dar and Secretary of State Rubio agreed to remain in close contact and to work together to advance the shared interests of both countries,” the statement concluded.
This call comes after US President Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all goods imported by the US, including from Pakistan.
Trump imposed a 29pc tariff on goods the United States imports from Pakistan, which charges the US 58pc.
Ali Hasnain, associate professor of economics at Lums, said that “America is one of Pakistan’s most important trade partners, and the one with which we run the largest trade surpluses”, adding that nearly a fifth of the country’s exports were destined for the US.
Facing a declining foothold in the US market, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday unveiled plans to dispatch a high-level delegation to Washington, hoping that the evolving US tariffs regime could be turned into a win-win situation for both countries.
“You should never let a good crisis go to waste. We are looking at it both as a challenge as well as an opportunity,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.