In a bid to strengthen bilateral Pakistan-US economic ties and discuss the skirmishes following the unwarranted Indian aggression in May, Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar met with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to reports, both officials engaged in talks concerning investments, trade and collaboration in counterterrorism initiatives.

 

Reports hail the meeting as a “breakthrough in diplomacy” as both foreign ministers have not engaged in such capacity in three years. As per reports, the timing of the meeting coincides with the US naming an ambassador in Islamabad to represent the US in Pakistan. 

 

This meeting was held after both the FM and the US Secretary of State collaborated to broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May. 

 

The US Secretary of State took to X (formerly Twitter) to outline the outcomes of their meeting in which he discussed “expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector” with Pakistan’s FM. 

 

Similarly, according to a post shared by FM Dar post-meeting, Pakistan is committed to “the long-term Pakistan-US partnership, with renewed focus on economic, trade, investment, IT/AI, and CT [counterterrorism] cooperation.”

 

Both officials were reportedly accompanied by key state officials present in their respective delegations, which considered investment opportunities in minerals, technology, energy and agriculture. Pakistan’s FM reportedly outlined how Pakistan was a good place for American investors to park their funds.

 

In related developments, Pakistan has been attempting to attract US investors to participate in the extraction of its minerals. Previously, Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik reportedly called on US companies and firms to tap into Pakistan’s mineral deposits in a bid to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows.

 

The Minister for Energy’s aim was to encourage investors to enter into joint ventures and public-private partnerships during a webinar titled “Opportunities in Pakistan’s Mining Sector – Unlocking Mineral Potential webinar.”

 

The online event was jointly held by the US Embassy in Pakistan and the Ministry of Energy. Both parties organised the webinar to boost bilateral economic ties and investment opportunities in the mining sector. 

 

Prior to the FM’s visit to the US, the Energy Minister highlighted Pakistan's vast deposits of coal, copper, gold, and other rare elements. He stated that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Government of Pakistan aim to streamline the process of foreign investments in the country, reaffirming the country’s commitment to facilitating the international parties seeking to tap into its mineral resources