The United States has congratulated Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan saying it looked forward to continuing the long-standing cooperation with Pakistan’s government.

In a statement released by the US State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We value our relationship with Pakistan which has been an important partner on wide-ranging mutual interests for nearly 75 years.”

He said the United States viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as essential for the interests of both of the countries.

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Meanwhile, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has also congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as Pakistan’s prime minister.

In a congratulatory message, Li Keqiang said China and Pakistan were unique all-weather strategic cooperative partners.

Li Keqiang said bilateral relations and friendship had experienced great changes and had always been rock-solid and unbreakable.

He said in the face of profound and complex changes in international and regional situation and amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan had helped each other to overcome difficulties and the ironclad China-Pakistan friendship continued to grow.

He said he looked forward to working together with Shehbaz Sharif to carry forward the two countries’ traditional friendship, consolidate mutual political trust and promote the high-quality construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.