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US pledges strong support for Pakistan’s economic reconstruction

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A State Department spokesperson assured Islamabad of Washington’s strong support for their efforts to rebuild the South Asian nation’s economy shortly after Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in New York for a series of meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The US “will continue to work bilaterally on ways to grow investment and trade opportunities to build a prosperous and stable Pakistan”, the spokesperson told Dawn news.

The US also “welcomes the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) deliberations with Pakistan”, the spokesperson added.

Furthermore, IMF sources in Washington confirmed that Pakistan and the Fund would begin review talks in Doha on Wednesday in order to reach a staff-level agreement for the release of a $1 billion tranche under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The week-long review will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to persuade the IMF to restart a stalled $6 billion package for stabilizing its cash-strapped economy.

A public declaration of US support would bolster Islamabad’s efforts to resurrect the program while also smoothing bullish market trends.

The spokesperson also confirmed media reports that Secretary Blinken and Bhutto-Zardari met one-on-one.

“We confirm Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Bhutto-Zardari will meet one-on-one and cover a number of bilateral concerns in a follow-up to their May 6 call,” the US official told Dawn news.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister told journalists in New York that during his UN engagements, he would share Pakistan’s perspective on various issues with the international community.

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Saman Iqbal

Saman is a law student. She enjoys writing about tech, politics and the world in general. She's an avid reader and writes fictional prose in her free time.







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