Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Pakistan, US reshaping bilateral ties, says FM Bilawal
In an interview with MSNBC, he said with consistent engagement at high levels and bilateral exchanges, the relations between Islamabad and Washington are moving ahead positively.
The foreign minister said the nations could build a sustainable long-term partnership, which is in the interest of the people of both countries.
FM Bilawal said in the past, 90% of the conversation between the two countries used to be on terrorism. However, currently, "90% of the discussion takes place on economic cooperation and other areas, including terrorism".
“This is a positive sign for Pakistan-US relations. We can’t change what happened in the past. We can learn from the past and engage with each other with realistic expectations,” the foreign minister remarked.
Regarding climate change and recent floods in Pakistan, he said the country has started to prepare National Adaptation Plan for building resilience to climate change.
The foreign minister said to become a climate-resilient country, Pakistan needs to invest in energy transition, which requires international support.
Counting on the losses caused by recent floods that have washed away 10% of Pakistan’s GDP, he stressed that adaptation is needed in a manner that if we face such catastrophe in future, we should be in a better position to cope with it.
US extends support
Later in the day, US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken spoke to FM Bilawal and expressed his continued support for the people of Pakistan as they recover from the recent devastating floods, the department's spokesperson said in a statement.
The statement mentioned that Secretary Blinken and FM Bilawal Zardari shared their mutual hope for a productive International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in January and discussed the need for close coordination.
The secretary also offered condolences for lives lost in recent terrorist attacks and underscored the United States' resolute support for Pakistan as it combats terrorism, the spokesperson added.
During a press briefing earlier, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said the US would help the country in dealing with the threats posed by the militant outfits.
“We have partnered with our Pakistani friends to take on — to help them take on this challenge. We stand ready to assist, whether with this unfolding situation or more broadly," he said when asked to comment on the situation at a counterterrorism centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu city.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/459881-pakistan-us-reshaping-bilateral-ties-says-fm-bilawal
امریکا سے دو طرفہ تعلقات کو وسعت دینا چاہتے ہیں، بلاول بھٹو
وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا کہنا ہے کہ امریکا سے دو طرفہ تعلقات کو وسعت دینا چاہتے ہیں، خطے میں امن و استحکام کے لیے امریکا کی کوششیں
قابل تحسین ہیں۔
واشنگٹن میں اٹلاٹنک کونسل کے جنوب ایشیا مرکز کی میزبانی میں منعقد مباحثے سے بلاول بھٹو کا خطاب میں کہنا تھا کہ مستقبل کے ماحولیاتی سانحات سے نمٹنا، متاثرین کی مدد کرنا چیلنج ہے۔
بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ ہماری تمام تر توجہ سیلاب سے پیدا سانحہ سےنمٹنے پر ہے، مجھے یقین ہے کہ ہم سیلاب سے پیدا چیلنج سے نمٹ لیں گے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ سیلاب نے تعلیم، زراعت اور صحت کے شعبوں کو متاثر کیا ہے۔
بلاول نے ایک سوال کا جواب دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ پاکستان میں 2007 کے مقابلے میں سیکیورٹی صورتحال بہتر ہے۔