During their inaugural official talk, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed deepening counterterrorism partnership and enhancing economic interaction between the two countries.
As per a statement released by Pakistan's foreign office, the two leaders shared views on bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation. Much of the discussion revolved around dealing with the fate of US military gear abandoned in Afghanistan after the 2021 pullout.
Deputy PM Dar restated Pakistan's pledge to its alliance with the US and underscored the successes of the country's counterterrorism efforts between 2013–18. He further stressed the importance of greater cooperation in trade, investment, and strategic minerals.
Rubio himself complimented the anti-terror efforts of Pakistan and repeated the call for greater economic relations, saying trade and investment were the "hallmark of future US-Pakistan relations." He also referred to the need to address issues pertaining to abandoned US equipment in Afghanistan.
The timing of the discussion is interesting, only a day after President Donald Trump leveled new tariffs against a number of nations including China — leading to swift retribution from Beijing and triggering worldwide market volatility.
Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb mentioned Islamabad's aggressive response in the new geopolitical environment: "You should never let a good crisis go to waste. We are looking at it both as a challenge as well as an opportunity."
A senior Pakistani delegation will arrive in Washington in the near future to consider cooperation possibilities under the new US tariff regime.
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