President Trump hints at restoring US aid to Pakistan
July 23, 2019
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of restoring $1.3 billion aid to its strategic ally Pakistan, which was suspended last year.
The US president spoke about the possibility of restoring aid during after he met with PM Imran Khan at the White House.
President Trump said that the aid was suspended because Pakistan was not helping the US and it was before the PM Imran’s government.
He further said that the ties between the two countries have now improved.
According to a White House press release, the US president acknowledged the steps taken by Pakistan to improve regional security and counter terrorism.
“The path to a strong and enduring partnership between Pakistan and the United States lies in working together to find a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan,” said the press briefing’s statement.
In terms of trade, the press statement said that Pakistan and US set “new record for bilateral trade in 2018 of $6.6 billion.”
According to the breakdown, the US exports to Pakistan reached a record high of $2.8 billion in 2018, adding that American energy producers are seeing more business opportunities in Pakistan.
The US companies got an opportunity to do business worth $3 billion in energy-related fields in Pakistan.
The statement further said that ExxonMobil re-established its presence in Pakistan after 27 years and trying to increase LNG imports.
