Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is likely to meet United States (US) President Donald Trump on September 25, a leading English daily reported on Tuesday.
According to reports, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir will also attend the meeting that is expected to take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The huddle, reportedly taking place with the consultation, support and endorsement of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, will discuss a broad agenda, including Pakistan’s floods, the repercussions of the Israeli attack on Qatar, and the post-conflict Pakistan-India situation.
The English daily quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are supportive of the Shehbaz-Trump meeting. However, Pakistan’s embassy is yet to confirm it.
The development came days after Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wherein both reaffirmed their resolve to bolster Pakistan-US ties and strengthen bilateral relations across multifaceted areas of cooperation.
In July, Dar had also met Rubio to discuss a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties, prospects for enhanced cooperation in trade, economy, investment, counter-terrorism and regional peace.
Soon after the meeting, the two countries announced that they had reached a trade agreement that aimed to boost bilateral trade, improve market access, attract investment and strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
On September 9, Islamabad had secured around $500 million investment from Washington in its critical minerals sector under a newly signed agreement with United States Strategic Metals (USSM).
All developments come as Pakistan and the US turn a new chapter in bilateral ties with President Trump repeatedly praising the Pakistani leadership and people since after mediating a ceasefire with India in May.