ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar discussed global developments and strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations this week, Pakistan’s foreign office said, as both countries eye closer relations and economic cooperation.
Washington’s ties with Islamabad have improved in recent months after US President Donald Trump took credit for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May. Pakistan praised Trump while India maintained that New Delhi and Islamabad should resolve their issues directly without outside involvement.
Pakistan and the US have also eyed closer economic cooperation, with both countries finalizing a trade deal in July while Washington slapped additional tariffs on India. Islamabad and Washington have also eyed enhanced cooperation in digital currency, critical minerals, real estate and other sectors of the economy.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, received a telephone call from Rubio on Saturday night, the Pakistani foreign office ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional & international developments,” the spokesperson said on Saturday.
“They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas of cooperation.”
Islamabad’s increasing engagement with Washington is being seen by analysts as a sign of a diplomatic reset after years of estrangement between the two countries. High-level bilateral exchanges between Pakistan and the US gradually faded as American forces withdrew from Afghanistan.
Pakistan considers the US an important trade partner and its top export destination. Pakistan’s exports to the US totaled $5.44 billion in fiscal year 2023-2024, according to official data. From July 2024 to February 2025, exports rose 10 percent from a year earlier.
Islamabad’s desire for greater economic cooperation with the US takes place as Pakistan seeks to forge closer trade and connectivity with other countries to escape a prolonged economic crisis that brought it to the brink of a sovereign default in June 2023.
