US Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland held a phone call with Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday during which she assured him of Washington’s support to stabilise Pakistan’s economy and its continued engagement with the International Monetary Fund.
Last month, the global lender’s executive board had green-lit a $3 billion nine-month standby arrangement for Pakistan in order “to support the authorities’ economic stabilisation programme”.
The two sides had an informal update of the programme implementation with particularemphasis on structural benchmarks necessary for successful completion of the second quarterly review due in October or early November based on end-September data that would secure disbursement of about $710 million worth of second tranche in December. According to a statement issued by the US State Department, Nuland congratulated FM Jilani on his appointment. “They discussed broadening and deepening the US-Pakistan partnership on issues of mutual concern, including Pakistan’s economic stability, prosperity and continued engagement with the IMF,” it said.
The talks focused on “Pakistan’s economic stability, prosperity, and its continued engagement with the IMF,” the department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller stated.
The leaders discussed the importance of timely, free and fair elections in a manner consistent with Pakistan’s laws and constitution,“ he added.
