ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States are further strengthening their economic partnership through expanding trade and investment engagement, as senior officials from both countries highlighted the growing importance of commercial cooperation during engagements held under the SelectUSA program.
According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh hosted a dinner at Pakistan House in honor of leading Pakistani business representatives visiting the US under SelectUSA, where Pakistani and American officials underscored the increasing centrality of economic cooperation in bilateral relations.
The reception was attended by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Paul Kapur, US Consul General in Karachi Charles Goodman, and senior officials from the US State Department and Department of Commerce.
The Pakistan embassy said 16 representatives from nine major Pakistani companies from diverse sectors are currently visiting the United States under the SelectUSA program to explore investment opportunities and strengthen business partnerships.
The visit comes amid renewed momentum in Pakistan-US relations, particularly in trade, investment and strategic economic cooperation.
Recent high-level engagements between the leadership of the two countries, including interactions involving Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, with US President Donald Trump, have contributed to broadening bilateral engagement beyond traditional security cooperation toward economic connectivity and investment facilitation.
According to the statement, Ambassador Sheikh said Islamabad and Washington were entering a new phase in bilateral relations anchored in economic cooperation and long-term commercial partnerships.
The embassy quoted him as saying that bilateral political and economic relations between Pakistan and the United States were “not optional but inevitable” given the size, strategic relevance and economic potential of both countries.
Ambassador Sheikh, according to the statement, said Pakistan’s national security policy had increasingly adopted geo-economics as a central pillar in recent years, reflecting Islamabad’s strategic focus on economic stability and connectivity.
Referring to recent regional developments, the ambassador said increased commercial activity at Karachi Port during the Middle East crisis had further highlighted Pakistan’s geographic and strategic importance.
“The business communities of both countries should fully benefit from Pakistan’s geographical importance and the economic opportunities available in the country,” Ambassador Sheikh said.
He added that the leadership of both countries remained committed to promoting bilateral economic cooperation and utilizing the full potential of the relationship.
The Pakistan embassy said US Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur told participants that Pakistan-US relations had remained important despite historical fluctuations and that the present phase offered significant opportunities for economic cooperation.
“While the security dimension remains important, economic relations now hold central importance in bilateral ties,” Kapur said, according to the embassy statement.
Kapur said economic security had become increasingly intertwined with national security and noted that there were “countless opportunities” to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
“As friends and partners, we must work together to capitalize on these opportunities,” Kapur said. “That is our future.”
Separately, the US Embassy in Islamabad highlighted the growing economic engagement through a video message shared on its official Facebook account from the 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland.
In the video message, Consul General Charles Goodman said the Pakistani delegation was actively engaging with American businesses and exploring new opportunities in the US market.
“From Pakistan to the US, business leaders are making connections here at SelectUSA 2026 in National Harbor, Maryland,” Goodman said in the video released by the US embassy.
“Pakistan’s delegation is meeting with partners from across the US, exploring new markets and taking meaningful steps to expand their footprint here in the world’s largest economy,” he said.
The US embassy quoted Goodman as describing the summit as a practical example of expanding bilateral economic cooperation.
“This is what US-Pakistan economic cooperation and partnership looks like… driving investment and building shared prosperity,” Goodman said.
“We look forward to these conversations turning into lasting collaborations and genuine business deals,” he added.
The diplomatic mission said the SelectUSA initiative was creating new pathways for Pakistani businesses to access the American market and build long-term partnerships with US companies.
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