DPM Ishaq Dar arrives in Washington to meet US counterpart Rubio

WASHINGTON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Thursday night, on the second leg of his eight-day visit to the United States.

On his arrival, the deputy prime minister was received by the Ambassador of Pakistan to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, and senior embassy officials.

While in Washington, DC, Dar is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Department of State.

In the meeting, they will discuss important facets of Pakistan-US relations, exploring the ways to strengthen bilateral ties, with a particular focus on promoting trade, investment and economic cooperation.

The deputy prime minister is also scheduled to speak at the US think tank The Atlantic Council, where he will share Pakistan’s perspective on regional and global issues as well as the future of Pakistan-US relations.

This will be Dar’s first official meeting with Secretary Rubio.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the upcoming meeting, stating that senior leaders from both sides will be present, and she herself will attend.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Pakistan is scheduled to meet officials from the Trump administration in Washington as the two sides work towards finalising a trade agreement, Bloomberg reported citing US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Bruce told reporters during a daily press briefing on Wednesday that she would be participating in the discussions.

Pakistan is seeking relief from the 29% reciprocal tariffs imposed during the ‘Liberation Day’ announcement in early April.

As part of the negotiations, Pakistan — already the second-largest buyer of US cotton after China — has offered to increase imports of American cotton and soybeans.

The US remains Pakistan’s largest export destination. Pakistan’s surplus was around $3 billion in 2024.

Diplomatic ties between Washington and Islamabad appear to be warming in recent months. US President Donald Trump recently invited Pakistan’s Army Chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for rare high-level talks at the White House.

Dar’s presence in Washington signals Islamabad’s rising profile in both multilateral forums and bilateral diplomacy with the US, the Foreign Office said in a statement issued on July 19.

Separately, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has also held meetings in Washington with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to advance the trade talks, the Ministry of Finance confirmed in a statement on the same date, Reuters reported last week.

“Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress in enhancing trade and economic ties, a cornerstone of Pakistan-US bilateral relations,” the statement added.