Summary Finance Minister and US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. pledged to strengthen economic ties.
WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States have held talks in Washington on expanding bilateral economic engagements‚ particularly in the areas of trade and investment.
Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides co-chairing the US-Pakistan Economic and Finance Working Group meeting pledged to strengthen the bilateral cooperation.
US Deputy Secretary Nides said that Pak-US cooperation is not only about helping each other in national security‚ but also in economic growth. The Finance minister said that Pakistan is looking forward to deepening its economic relationship with the United States.
In other meetings with Dr. Shaikh and his high-level delegation‚ senior State Department officials and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah also highlighted the positive results of ongoing civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.
Meanwhile speaking at a think tank in Washington, Finance Minister said despite global economic and regional security challenges‚ Pakistan has steadfastly followed its policies of austerity and economic reforms.
He appreciated the US economic partnership with Pakistan and said it would be vital for bilateral relations on long term basis. He outlined some of the gains the country made amidst regional and global challenges. He said Pakistan is likely to record an economic growth of around four percent in the 2012-13 financial year.
The Finance Minister lauded Washington s role in realizing European Union preferential programme for Pakistani exports.
Dr Hafeez Shaikh said he looks forward to discuss state of the economy with IMF officials. He appreciated Fund s support for the country in the recent past. He said despite inheriting a bleak fiscal situation and being confronted with a mix of regional security challenges‚ Pakistan has steadfastly followed its policies of austerity and key reforms.
