- Elizabeth Horst said the US supports the IMF-Pakistan agreement.
- She said the US is encouraged by government’s promise to hold elections.
- She said economy, climate change, and terrorism are the biggest challenges for Pakistan.
WASHINGTON: US State Department official Elizabeth Horst said the United States supports the agreement between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan.
US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Elizabeth Horst made the comments in a conversation with Washington-based Pakistani journalists.
“There’s no quick fix to Pakistan’s economic problems but following the arrangement it has made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) can help it overcome the crisis,” she said.
“We support the arrangement. It provides a breathing space” she added. “Pakistan should continue to work with the IMF.”
Ms Horst acknowledged that the coming days would be very tough for the people of Pakistan but they have to go through this difficult phase to improve the economy.
She said that climate change, economy, and terrorism were Pakistan’s most pressing issues, and the United States was helping Pakistan deal with these issues.
Ms Horst pointed out that terrorism was both a regional and domestic issue for Pakistan, while the United States considers it a threat to world peace.
She said both countries have a common interest in countering terrorism. The US official noted that 80,000 Pakistanis have been the victims of terrorism, and hence, Pakistan had a vested interest in combating terrorism.
She assured that the United States and Pakistan “have an enduring partnership” which would not be affected by the current political situation.
Ms Horst said the United States was encouraged by the government’s promise to hold elections soon and supports the rule of law and democracy in the country. “It’s for the Pakistani people to decide who they want to elect. We do not support one party against the other. We support free and fair elections,” she said.
She said Pakistan and the United States have an enduring partnership and common interests on several issues. She said both sides were setting the relationship since last year.
She mentioned that the United States is Pakistan’s biggest trading partner with bilateral trade of $9 billion in 2022. She said that the US has provided over $20bn to Pakistan in the last 20 years.
She shared that US companies invested around $250 million in Pakistan last year and 120,000 Pakistanis are employed by US companies. She added the US provided $215mn in flood assistance last year which excludes $33mn sent by Pakistani Americans.
She said last year, both countries held a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting after eight years, and climate, energy, health dialogues, while they are also working on a green alliance framework.
Ms Horst noted that there were at least 550,000 Pakistanis in the US, who could play a key role in maintaining the US-Pakistan partnership.
