WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and discussed trade, investment, counterterrorism cooperation and the clash between India and Pakistan in May, according to officials from both countries.
The meeting — the first such engagement between the foreign ministers of the two countries in three years — is being considered a breakthrough in diplomacy between Pakistan and the US.
On the same day, the US named an acting ambassador in Islamabad.
In Washington, Mr Dar and Secretary Rubio held their first meeting since working together in May to negotiate a ceasefire that ended a dangerous military standoff between India and Pakistan.
In a post shared after the meeting, Mr Dar said he discussed bilateral relations with Secretary Rubio.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to the long-term Pakistan-US partnership, with renewed focus on economic, trade, investment, IT/AI, and CT [counterterrorism] cooperation.”
Secretary Rubio, in a separate post, highlighted key economic and strategic aspects of the meeting.
“Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector,” he said.
Both leaders mentioned discussions on regional developments, an apparent hint at the India-Pakistan relationship and clashes in May.
Mr Rubio said he thanked FM Dar for “preserving regional stability”.
In his post, Mr Dar hailed the “constructive role” played by the US in reaching the ceasefire.
According to a statement issued by the Pakistan embassy in Washington, Mr Dar said the US role “helped avert a potential nuclear confrontation and restored calm to a volatile region”.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace and ongoing counterterrorism cooperation.
Secretary Rubio recognised Pakistan’s “unparalleled sacrifices” in the fight against terrorism and described Islamabad as a “constructive actor” in efforts to ensure regional stability.
Trade and investment
The talks also addressed the future of bilateral trade and investment.
Both delegations — led by their respective foreign ministers and joined by senior officials — discussed opportunities in agriculture, energy, technology, and critical minerals.
Mr Dar described Pakistan as an “attractive destination” for American investors and voiced optimism about progress in the ongoing trade dialogue.
US engagement in South Asia
Mr Dar and Secretary Rubio also discussed cooperation at various global forums, including the UN Security Council.
The meeting “reaffirmed the importance of close coordination at multilateral fora, including at the UN Security Council,” and exchanged views on “key regional and global developments,” Mr Dar said.
Later, in a conversation with NBC News’ Dan De Luce at the Atlantic Council, Mr Dar outlined Islamabad’s regional outlook and addressed pathways for managing India-Pakistan tensions.
“For peace in South Asia, we need continued US involvement,” he said, calling for an “open-eyed” policy that “understands the risk of disengagement.”
Mr Dar highlighted the need for “a sustainable mechanism for conflict resolution” in the region, adding that there could be no peace unless India agrees to hold dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir.
He also revealed the US and Pakistan were close to concluding a deal for extracting minerals from Pakistan and an agreement could be finalised in “weeks and days, not months.”
Responding to a question about former prime minister Imran Khan’s incarceration, Mr Dar drew a parallel with the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who has spent years in a US prison.
He noted that Pakistan did not interfere in that process because “the Americans had followed their judicial system”.
Similarly, he said, Mr Khan was sentenced by Pakistan’s judiciary, which followed the due process of law.
“When the due process is followed, others do not have the right to interfere,” he said.
When asked if Pakistan would continue to buy weapons from China, Mr Dar said the country would go for whoever offered a better deal.
New US envoy
Meanwhile, the State Department has appointed Elizabeth Horst as the acting US ambassador to Pakistan.
Ms Horst, a senior career diplomat currently serving as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, has arrived in Pakistan to take charge of her position.
“I am back in Pakistan (where I started my diplomatic career 20 years ago), this time for a short stint as the acting ambassador,” she wrote in a social media post.
“What a joy to visit one of the most magical places in Punjab, the Lahore Fort. I saw how US support is helping preserve this magnificent monument and demonstrate our long-term partnership. The people-to-people ties and cultural bonds are what underpin our work.”
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