ISLAMABAD: General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is expected to undertake an official visit to the United States of America on the invitation of the US Department of Defence, on the 3rd of October 2022. However, military sources said that this would be a routine visit. The agenda of the visit has not been shared though.
The visit will likely take place after the recent high-level exchanges between the two countries following ouster of the PTI government.
Earlier, General Bajwa and General Lloyd James Austin, US Secretary of Defence had a telephonic conversation.
During the call, matters of mutual interests, regional stability as well as defence and security cooperation were discussed.
The Defence Secretary also expressed his grief over the devastation caused by unprecedented floods in Pakistan and offered sincere condolence to the families of the victims. He offered full support to the people of Pakistan.
He also appreciated Pakistan Army’s rescue and relief efforts in areas hit by flooding and pledged to play his role enhancing cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.
On September 9, Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III also called General Bajwa, to offer his sincere condolences to the people of Pakistan amid the devastating floods there. He commended the heroic efforts of the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistani military response to the ongoing disaster.
During the call, they also discussed DoD’s and US CENTCOM’s assistance to USAID in the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to Pakistan. Gen Bajwa detailed the catastrophic effects of the flooding there, impacting 33 million people, and thanked the Secretary for the US Government’s assistance.
Previously, On August 18, US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Michael E Kurilla also met COAS Gen Bajwa at the Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ).
Matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and stability, defence and security cooperation, particularly military-to-military ties, were discussed during the meeting.
A one-to-one call was followed by a delegation-level meeting where Pakistan Army’s counter-terrorism efforts and significant contribution to regional peace and stability were discussed. The Pakistan-US military training exchange programme also came under discussion.
The visiting dignitary acknowledged Pakistan Army’s commendable efforts in the fight against terrorism, counter-terrorism experiences, and efforts for regional peace and stability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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