Trump, Sharif discuss regional security, trade at White House meeting

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. He was accompanied by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir NI (M), HJ, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff. 

The meeting, which lasted more than 90 minutes, focused on regional security and trade relations between the two countries.

PM Sharif lauded President Trump's efforts to bring about an immediate end to the war in Gaza and his initiative to bring together key leaders of the Muslim world in New York earlier this week for an exchange of views for the restoration of peace in the Middle East, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.

The PM thanked the US president for the tariff arrangement that was concluded between Pakistan and the US earlier this year. He invited American companies to invest in Pakistan's agriculture, IT, mining, mineral, and energy sectors.

During the meeting, the prime minister described President Trump as a "man of peace" who was engaged in sincere efforts to resolve conflicts around the world. He appreciated President Trump's decisive leadership that had facilitated the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, thereby helping to avert a major catastrophe in South Asia, according to the press release.

The two leaders discussed regional security, including counter-terrorism cooperation. The PM thanked the president for his public endorsement of Pakistan's role in counter-terrorism and stressed the need to enhance cooperation in security and intelligence further.

PM Sharif also extended an invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan.

The cordial atmosphere was clear in the photos from the meeting, where PM Sharif, President Trump, and Field Marshal Munir looked relaxed.

Ahead of his visit, security around the White House was heightened, and many roads leading to the White House were closed or diverted to accommodate traffic.

Before the talks, Trump praised both Sharif and Munir as “very great people.” 

It was the first time Trump had hosted Sharif at the White House since he resumed office last year. The meeting comes at a juncture when the relations between the US and Pakistan have started to take off, following years of tensions.

Regional security and trade deal 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with President Trump is being described by observers as a major reset of Pakistan-US bilateral ties.

PM Sharif is in the US to attend and lead Pakistan's delegation at the United Nations General Assembly session.

The US halted military aid to Pakistan in 2018 following its exit from Afghanistan, and relations further sank over Washington’s drone strike program and India’s increasing influence in DC.

Under the Biden administration, relations between Pakistan and the US reached a new low, with virtually no high-level engagement between the two countries.

The meeting, therefore, has set a new frequency for both countries to pursue their new common goals that were discussed today.

New York-based Farwa Aamer, who is the Director of South Asian Initiatives at the Asia Policy Institute, while speaking with Pakistan TV Digital, said, “Now with trade, crypto, regional security, and critical minerals on the table, there is an opportunity for Islamabad to develop a win-win, forward-looking partnership with Washington.”

She added that, “Washington cares for deliverables, so all eyes would be on how well Pakistan can leverage the current critical minerals potential, especially.”

Significant development

Field Marshal Asim Munir’s earlier visit to the US was seen as a major development, especially by South Asian analysts, following his meeting with the US president last June, which included a private lunch at the White House.

His second visit to the Oval Office is even more significant in terms of the changing “geo-political situation” globally, Farwa added.

An Islamabad-based journalist, Anas Malick, who was covering the PM’s visit, said that “India keeps denying all peace efforts made by President Trump, something he believes has negatively impacted US-India relations.”

While announcing the trade deal in July, Trump stated that the US would work with Pakistan on developing “their massive oil reserves,” adding that the US was in the process of selecting an oil company to lead the partnership.

On Tuesday, Trump and Sharif had met briefly when the US president and the emir of Qatar hosted a meeting of Arab-Islamic leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UNGA session, which focused on establishing peace in the Middle East, especially in Gaza.