Islamabad:
It is likely that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets US President Donald Trump on the banks of the next session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to sources familiar with development.
The Prime Minister will visit New York to attend the Unga next week, where he will pronounce the speech. On the sidelines, it is expected to know several world leaders. But the most important meeting that is likely to have is with President Trump.
The sources said that both parties were in contact with each other and almost finished the schedule. This would be the first meeting of any Pakistani prime minister with the president of the United States in several years.
During the four -year period of former President Joe Biden, there was no bilateral meeting with any of the Pakistani prime ministers. In fact, Biden never spoke with any of the Pakistani leaders during their mandate in the White House.
The expected meeting between Trump and Shehbaz would focus on a wide range of issues, including bilateral cooperation, regional and international problems.
Since President Trump assumed the position, the ties of Pakistan-US have seen a reset. In June, Trump took the unprecedented step to house the Syed field marshal also in the White House, the first time a president of the United States received a Pakistani army chief.
The meeting took place in the midst of the Israel-Iran War and only weeks after the Pakistan-India conflict. Islamabad publicly recognized the role of President Trump in the antivision of a high fire between Pakistan and India and formally nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to peace in southern Asia.
While the relationship between Pakistan and the United States saw an unexpected ascending trajectory, Washington’s relationship with New Delhi reached a historical minimum. India was upset because Trump was the host of the weeks in chief of the Pakistani army of Pahalgam’s attack, which New Delhi blamed Islamabad.
However, the Trump administration paid little attention to Indian concerns, qualifying Pakistan as an important partner. During the probable meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Trump, Pakistan would press for looking for sustained ties with the United States.
The Trump administration movement to seek a deeper commitment to Pakistan comes from changing geostrategic realities, as well as a great interest in rare earth minerals. Recently, an American company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Organization of Border Works (FWO) of Pakistan (FWO) to explore cooperation in the field of critical minerals.
The Mou was signed at the Prime Minister’s house in the presence of the Embassy of the Chief of Interim Mission of Islamabad, Zach Harkenrider, who accompanied a delegation directed by the strategic metals of the United States (USSM).
Natalie Baker of the United States, Natalie Baker, speaking on the occasion, described the Mou “another example of the strength of the bilateral relationship of Pakistan of the United States that will benefit both countries.” He added that the Trump administration has prioritized such agreements, given the importance of critical mineral resources for American security and prosperity.
The agreement comes at a time when Islamabad and Washington seek to recalibrate ties after years of distrust. A key factor that drives this commitment is the non -exploited mineral wealth of Pakistan, which the government expects to develop with foreign investment. Analysts point out that the participation of the FWO, an arm of the Pakistan army, underlines the central role of the military in the development of resources.
The firm also follows the meeting of the army general also Munir with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, in June, which many saw as an advance to revive the strategic dialogue. Both parties had agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment and security, with critical minerals identified as a priority area.
Pakistan and the relations of the United States have often been transnational and mainly in the past they have remained driven by security. Islamabad for decades has pressed to diversify relations with Washington beyond security and Afghanistan.
After the withdrawal of the United States of Afghanistan in August 2021, the observers were not sure if Washington had some interest in Islamabad. Those uncertainties were increased even more when Trump returned to the White House.
The experts in both Washington and Islamabad think that under the 2.0 administration of President Trump, the perspectives of any restart with Pakistan were gloomy. But what happened later challenged all the projections as the ties of the United States with Pakistan became unexpectedly warm, while Washington’s relations with New Delhi hit the background.
The critical factor, many believe, is the carefully elaborate policy of Pakistan who won Trump’s heart. Pakistan has managed to court the Trump administration offering investments in the critical mineral sector.
Currently, China influences critical mineral resources in terms of production and supply chain. The United States is desperately looking for alternatives and eager to invest in the sector.
