KARACHI: US ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Tuesday visited Karachi to underscore strong bilateral relations, meeting with business leaders and representatives of other sectors in the city.
He held meetings with the representatives and members of the American Business Council, Agha Khan University Hospital, and a KFC-fuded School for Deaf and discussed ways to further strengthen ties in business, education, and health.
In his meeting with the American Business Council’s representatives, the ambassador discussed how the two countries can facilitate broad-based, equitable, and sustainable economic growth.
He said that he was committed to further strengthening trade and investment relations, especially through a new framework the US-Pakistan Green Alliance. The framework is aimed at promoting climate-smart agriculture and private sector-led growth in Pakistan.
US is the Largest Trade Partner of Pakistan
The US is the largest bilateral trade partner of Pakistan and one of its main sources of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The US investment in Pakistan rose over 50 percent last year.
Blome also held a meeting with the Agha Khan University Hospital representatives and toured the hospital facilities. In 2012, the US Development Finance Corporation extended a $30 million loan to the hospital.
Later, the ambassador also visited the KFC-funded school for the Deaf community. He did lunch at one of the KFC restaurants that employs workers with disabilities.
He appreciated the KFC’s role in flood relief activities and its donations to the victims.
The US government has contributed 97 million dollars in flood-relief activities to Pakistan to date, while the private sector and its citizens have also donated over 32 million dollars.
Donald Blome said that the US government was dedicated to boosting relations with Pakistan in the fields of clean energy, health, education, and people-to-people contacts. He said that both countries can promote a more secure, stable and bright future for their people by working together. – APP
