PM Shehbaz reaffirms ‘strong desire’ to work closely with Trump administration for improved ties – World

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed his government’s intention to work closely with the Trump administration for stronger bilateral ties with the United States.

A press release issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the premier expressed Pakistan’s “strong desire” to work towards the endeavour while recalling the “decades-long history of close cooperation” between the two countries in a meeting with US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker.

The PMO statement added that she mentioned that the new US administration would also work with Pakistan in pursuit of common objectives to strengthen their bilateral relationship.

The prime minister also stressed the need for both countries to continue their close cooperation in the counter-terrorism domain, in particular, to deal with the threat posed by the proscribed Islamic State and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan groups.

PM Shehbaz further emphasised the need to enhance trade, as well as cooperation in the areas of information technology, agriculture, health, education, and energy, among other areas of mutual interest, the statement added..

The US official thanked the prime minister for receiving her.

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi had also expressed similar sentiments during a meeting with Baker on Saturday.

Pakistan views its ties with the US as vital, with hopes of navigating shared interests in a region marked by evolving dynamics and competing priorities. The government, therefore, made an early effort to engage with the Trump administration by quietly dispatching Naqvi as a special envoy to meet members of the administration’s foreign policy team and Congressional leaders.

Naqvi had said earlier this month that positive results of his visit to the US during President Donald Trump’s inauguration would be witnessed very soon.

The Foreign Office had also expressed optimism last month that Pakistan’s ties with the US will grow under the Trump administration, while emphatically reiterating that non-interference in internal affairs is a non-negotiable foundation of bilateral relations.

The Trump administration’s approach to South Asia, shaped by its policies towards India and China, looms over Islamabad’s engagement with the US.

However, former Pakistani diplomats have expressed concern that US engagement with Pakistan would remain limited under Trump’s second term, citing Washington’s policies toward India and China and strategic divergences that continue to strain relations between the two countries.