Trump shows ‘keen interest' in trade ties with Pakistan, says Army after rare White House meeting

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has expressed "keen interest" in developing a "mutually beneficial" trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests, the army here said on Thursday.
In a statement after a meeting between Trump and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir at the White House Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the Pakistan Army - said they also discussed joint counterterrorism efforts.
During the high-level engagement, the discussions also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies, the ISPR said.
"President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests," said the statement.
In the first formal reaction by the Pakistan government, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said the meeting between Army Chief Munir and President Trump helped to highlight the Pak-India conflict.
In a post on X, Asif said the meeting is a milestone in Pak-US relations because 'this is the first time that a US President has invited and met a Pakistani Army Chief.'
Describing the Trump-Munir meeting as 'the most important turning point in the 78-year history of relations', Asif said the development is the success of the 'current hybrid model of governance', involving the elected government and the army.
His comments seem to be a departure from the past when political parties demanded non-interference of the army in political affairs.

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