Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio have renewed their determination to deepen bilateral cooperation across key areas, including trade, investment, and regional security, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.
In a telephone conversation, the two leaders expressed satisfaction over the “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-US relations and discussed recent regional and international developments, according to an official statement.
The discussion comes amid breakthroughs in diplomatic engagement following the May conflict between Pakistan and India, which ended with a ceasefire mediated by US President Donald Trump.
During the talk, both sides emphasised cooperation in a broad set of areas: economic ties, counter-terrorism, regional peace and security, investment opportunities, and market access for Pakistani exports to the US.
Earlier in July, Dar had met Rubio in Washington, where Rubio commended Pakistan’s contributions in the war on terror. That meeting laid the groundwork for a new trade agreement designed to reduce tariffs, attract investment, and bolster mutual economic interests.
A significant recent development is Pakistan’s securing of approximately US$500 million in US investment focused on the critical minerals sector, under a deal with United States Strategic Metals (USSM). The agreement includes collaboration in mining, processing of rare earth elements, and logistics—areas seen as strategically important for both economic growth and national security.
Military diplomacy has also featured prominently: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has undertaken a series of high-level visits to the US, including meetings with top US military leadership. These visits further underscore the deepening defence and strategic conversation between Islamabad and Washington.