Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Thursday night, marking the second leg of his eight-day visit to the United States. Upon his arrival, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior embassy officials, received the deputy prime minister.
While in Washington, D.C., Dar is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Department of State. During their meeting, they will delve into crucial aspects of Pakistan-US relations, exploring avenues to strengthen bilateral ties, with a particular emphasis on boosting trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The deputy prime minister is also slated to speak at the US think tank, The Atlantic Council. Here, he will present Pakistan’s perspective on regional and global issues, as well as the future trajectory of Pakistan-US relations. This upcoming meeting will be Dar’s first official encounter with Secretary Rubio. Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the anticipated meeting, stating that senior leaders from both nations would be present, and she would also be in attendance.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg, citing US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, reported that a Pakistani delegation is set to meet with officials from the Trump administration in Washington as the two sides work towards finalizing a trade agreement. Bruce informed reporters during a daily press briefing on Wednesday that she would be participating in these discussions. Pakistan is currently seeking relief from the 29% reciprocal tariffs imposed during the ‘Liberation Day’ announcement in early April. As part of these negotiations, Pakistan, already the second-largest buyer of US cotton after China, has put forth an offer to increase its imports of American cotton and soybeans. The US continues to be Pakistan’s largest export destination, with Pakistan’s trade surplus reaching approximately $3 billion in 2024.
Recent months have seen a noticeable warming of diplomatic ties between Washington and Islamabad. US President Donald Trump recently extended an invitation to Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for rare high-level talks at the White House. The Foreign Office, in a statement issued on July 19, highlighted that Dar’s presence in Washington underscores Islamabad’s increasing prominence in both multilateral forums and its bilateral diplomacy with the US.
Separately, Reuters reported last week that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also held meetings in Washington with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to advance the ongoing trade talks. The Ministry of Finance confirmed these meetings in a statement issued on the same date, adding, “Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress in enhancing trade and economic ties, a cornerstone of Pakistan-US bilateral relations.”
