US welcomes 'development and growth' in Pakistan

• US welcomes development and growth in Pakistan, State Dept says.
• State Dept's comments came following CPEC activities in Pakistan.
• Miller affirms US's commitment to enhance trade and investment.

WASHINGTON: The United States has conveyed its belief in the suitability of foreign investments in Pakistan and other nations that encourage transparency and responsible debt management.

Mathew Miller, State Department spokesperson, said the US remains steadfast in supporting Pakistan's economic prosperity. His remarks came in response to a query by The News regarding a Chinese delegation commemorating a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan.

He affirmed the commitment to enhance trade and investment relations, considering them key priorities in the bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Washington.

The spokesperson highlighted the significance of transparency, sustainable financing practices, and safeguarding national and data security to ensure shared benefits for Pakistan and its partnering nations.

"We have not always seen that with respect to investments by the PRC and countries around the world. But if investments that promote transparency, and responsible debt management, we believe are appropriate," the spokesperson said.

With respect to investments by any country, he mentioned, the US believes that good governments, governance, long-term capacity building, and sustainable market-based approaches, which allow the private sector to flourish, are the best paths to sustained growth and development.

Miller added the US welcomes trade and investment that promotes such development and growth.

Meanwhile, the US has condemned, in the strongest terms, the Bajaur political rally attack expressing that “no country should suffer such acts of terror, which are an affront to all peaceful and democratic societies.”

Briefing reporters on Tuesday, the State Department spokesperson said that the US was deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries sustained from the explosion and shared heartfelt condolences with those affected by the attack.

“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists. We believe in the resilience of Pakistan’s people and their capacity to recover from this devastating attack,” the spokesperson said.

He said the US remains committed to working with Pakistan to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups throughout the region and support Pakistan government’s efforts to combat terrorism in a manner that promotes the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

Responding to another question, the spokesperson stated that the State Department does fund several counterterrorism capacity-building programmes in Pakistan focused on law enforcement and the justice sector and we will continue to do so.

In March, the US and Pakistan held a high-level counterterrorism dialogue to discuss the shared terrorist threats facing the two countries and develop strategies to cooperate in critical areas such as border security and countering the financing of terrorism.

The dialogue covered a range of topics including counterterrorism cooperation at multilateral forums, an assessment of the regional counterterrorism landscape, cyber security, countering violent extremism, civilian-military cooperation, combatting terrorism financing and terrorist designations.

Both governments resolved to increase dialogue on these topics and continue cooperation on counterterrorism programmes to assist Pakistan’s efforts to better counter all forms of violent extremism.

Since the dialogue, the State Department has supported a series of trainings to increase law enforcement capacity to collect, evaluate, and apply evidence in counterterrorism operations and investigations in Pakistan, the State Department spokesperson told The News in a statement, adding that the department also funds a programme specifically focused on law enforcement capacity to counter terrorism finance.