Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan wants to improve its bilateral relations with the United States in various fields, noting that relations between the countries have “returned to normal”.
Speaking at a function organized to celebrate the 247th Independence Day of the United States, he said, the news that Pakistan and the US made serious efforts to mend their relations, removing any doubts and misunderstandings.
He pledged to build better and stronger relations with the United States based on mutual trust and respect as the head of government and as a Pakistani.
“Over the past 75 years, our relationship has had its ups and downs but overall we have been very good friends,” he recalled.
He said the US is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a staunch partner in the war against terrorism.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan has lost 80,000 people of all ranks in the fight against terrorism. This unparalleled sacrifice illustrates Pakistan’s commitment and the United States has been a great supporter and partner in this struggle, he remarked.
He said when Pakistan faced severe power cuts about five years ago, the government had set up a 5,000 MW LNG-based power plant and the entire equipment was brought from America.
He said both countries have huge scope for expansion and expansion of their relations in various fields including agriculture and information technology.
He added that Pakistan has great talent and youth, which has been a challenge, but can be turned into an opportunity with the support and cooperation of the United States.
The Prime Minister appreciated the assistance of the United States in last year’s devastating floods. “We appreciate the support of the United States, which was the largest donor and was very instrumental in providing relief to millions of flood-affected people,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated President Joe Biden and the people and government of the United States on their 247th Independence Day.
He said he was looking forward to the visit of a high-powered US delegation to further enhance cooperation. US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blom said in his speech that US economic partnership with Pakistan is expanding.
The US was a leading investor in Pakistan and Pakistan’s largest export market, he said at a ministerial meeting, adding that both countries had made significant progress in expanding market access for goods and services.
