Ambassador Rizwan highlights Pakistan’s priorities for cooperation with US

WASHINGTON: The Pakistan government’s priorities to enhance bilateral cooperation with the United States in trade and investment, higher education, health, science and technology, climate change, and regional stability were highlighted by Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh at an event in Berkely, California, on Thursday.

The event, held at the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of California, was attended by faculty members and students, provided a platform for an open dialogue on the evolving relationship between Pakistan and the United States, with focus on the role of the Pakistani-American community in shaping the bilateral ties, according to a press release of the Pakistani embassy.

In his remarks, Ambassador Sheikh underscored the strategic nature of the relationship in historical context and shared interests of both nations to promote peace and development. He also stressed the pivotal role of the Pakistani diaspora in strengthening these ties, particularly through active engagement with American institutions, policymakers, media, and the corporate sector.

The Ambassador also emphasized the vital role of the Pakistani-American community in enhancing people-to-people connections and promoting educational, economic, and cultural exchanges, effectively serving as a bridge between Pakistan and the United States. He said that the community, with its strong roots in both countries, is uniquely positioned to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two nations, underscoring the significant contributions of Pakistani-Americans across diverse sectors, including technology, healthcare, and business, and their impact in advancing the shared interests of Pakistan and the U.S.

Referring to Pakistan’s historical role as a diplomatic bridge between the United States and China, he said the country is now poised to serve as an economic bridge, fostering deeper connections between these two major economies.

Ambassador Sheikh, who is on an official visit to the Silicon Valley, also addressed a gathering of Pakistani-American community in San Jose, California at the invitation from Friends of Pakistan (FOP), a community organization based in Southern California and having multiple chapters along the U.S. West Coast. In his interactive session, he offered a facilitation mechanism to the community to strengthen business and investment linkages between the two countries.

The Ambassador encouraged the community to explore Pakistan’s qualitative edge and cost competitiveness of human resource and service industry, stressing that they take advantage of their roots in both countries.