US State Secretary Antony Blinken discussed the United States’ support for Pakistan’s economic recovery and “shared regional concerns including Afghanistan” in a phone call with Foreign Minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, it emerged on Tuesday.
In a tweet late on Monday night, Blinken said, “The US supports a productive, democratic and prosperous partnership with Pakistan.”
The Foreign Office said on Tuesday morning that Blinken and Bilawal noted the “positive momentum” in Pak-US relations and agreed to remain “constructively engaged to promote peace, security and development”.
In a statement, the FO said: “The two foreign ministers underlined the importance of constructive engagement between Pakistan and the US for promoting peace, security and development in the region. They also discussed the regional security situation, including the threat from terrorism, and reaffirmed their desire to continue close cooperation for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
Bilawal underscored that Pakistan valued its longstanding and broad-based relationship with the US and wished to further deepen the partnership. He noted that during the past one year, apart from holding six dialogues, exchange of high-level visits had diversified and solidified the relationship, the statement said.
