KARACHI: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Friday said that United States likes ‘very much’ to see Pakistan succeed in the ongoing programme with International Monitory Fund (IMF) to overcome its current financial and economic challenge.
Also, he said the US is not pressing Pakistan to ‘choose’ between economic relations with China or United States. Trade ties among many partners are the key to economic prosperity.
Addressing at an interactive session on “US-Pakistan Relations: Present and Future” here, Donald Blome said that the US fully supports Pakistan’s working with the IMF. Our top priory is to see a stable, secured and prosperous Pakistan. “We want to see the programme should continue.
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Obviously, there is a short period left in this particular program.“ The IMF is an independent international institution which the US is a board member like many other countries. It works in an important policy framework with carefully negotiated agreements with counties that are in its programs, he said. “We want to see Pakistan succeed in the program to more broadly overcoming its significant financial and economic challenges,” the US ambassador said.
The event was organized by Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations (PCFR).
Over the last some decades, he said many policymakers in US viewed Pakistan through the lens of the U.S engagement with Afghanistan, and more recently some commentators try to frame the U.S relationship with Pakistan to the prism of China or India or Russia. But I see the situation differently.
US relations with Pakistan should strengthen on its own. Our engagement with Pakistan remains very strong, he said. He said Pakistan is the economic engine of future economy as the country is connecting South and Central Asia.
The Ambassador said that the future of US-Pakistan relations has many possibilities to advance the shared interests in trade, investment, clean energy, health, security, climate change and regional security. Top priory is a stable and prosperous Pakistan, and the economy is the heart of this relationship.
“Our business ties are the future,” he said. U.S is Pakistan’s largest single exports market and the largest source of foreign investment in Pakistan. Last year, we saw a 50 percent increase in US investment in Pakistan. More than a 100 U.S companies in Pakistan are directly employing more than 1,20,000 locals.
US companies have record of making high quality products and services in Pakistan’s market from energy to agriculture, franchising to real estate trade and digital sector. He said President Joe Biden is pursuing a modern industrial innovation strategy at home and partners in the world. This tragedy will develop more durable global economic order including in Pakistan.
He said decades of US engagement in Pakistan have prepared us to address the pressing challenges for the better future. Climate change is on the top of our shared agenda, as the entire world is facing the consequences of climate crisis. As just cooperation on the Green revolution improved lives in 1960s, the growing US Pakistan green alliance framework will help protect us in future. Climate change is existential threat.
Recognizing this urgency, the U.S has made unprecedented efforts to protect the planet. We are committed to support Pakistan’s goal of increasing the share of renewable power generation from current 34 percent to 60 percent by 2030.
We are working with the government to design open and transparent procurement system, attract more private investors to the renewable power sector, and increase the green energy footprint in Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023