• “Our relations have ups and downs,” PM Shehbaz says.
• “Pakistan, US made serious efforts to mend their ties.”
• PM praises US for its support during last year’s floods.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said Pakistan desired to improve its bilateral relations with the US in diverse fields, noting that the ties between the nations were “back to normal”.

Addressing a ceremony held to celebrate the 247th Independence Day of the US, he said, according to The News, that Pakistan and the US had made serious efforts to mend their ties, putting aside any misgivings and misunderstandings.

He pledged his personal as head of the government and as a Pakistani to cultivate better and stronger relations with the US on the basis of mutual trust and respect.

“Over the last 75 years, our relations have ups and downs but on the whole we have been very good friends,” he recalled.

He said the US was Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a steadfast partner in the war against terrorism.

PM Shehbaz said in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan lost 80,000 people from all walks of life. This unparalleled sacrifice explained Pakistan’s commitment and the US had been a great supporter and partner in this fight, he remarked.

He said about five years ago when Pakistan faced serious power outages, the government established 5,000 megawatts of LNG-based power plants and the entire equipment was brought from the US.

He said both countries had a huge ground to cover and expand their ties in different fields, including agriculture and information technology.

He added that Pakistan had great talent and youth bulge, which was a challenge, but it could be turned into an opportunity with the support and cooperation of the United States.

The prime minister praised the United States for its support during last year’s devastating floods.

“We value support of the US which had been the biggest donor and very helpful in providing relief to millions of flood-affected people,” he added.

PM Shehbaz felicitated President Joe Biden and the people and the government of the United States on their 247th Independence Day.

He said he looked forward to visits of high-powered US delegations to enhance cooperation further.

In his remarks, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome said the economic partnership of the United States with Pakistan was expanding.

The US had been a leading investor in Pakistan and Pakistan’s largest export market, he said, adding during a ministerial meeting that both countries made significant progress in expanding market access for goods and services.