U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, a Trump administration official told Reuters on Wednesday, with the meeting coming weeks after the two countries agreed to a trade deal.
U.S.-Pakistan ties have warmed in recent months under Trump after Washington had for years viewed Pakistan's rival India as a counter to China's influence in Asia.
Washington's relations with New Delhi have been tested under the Republican leader over issues such as visa hurdles for Indians, high tariff rates imposed by Trump on goods from India and Trump's repeated claims that he brokered an India-Pakistan ceasefire in May after the South Asian neighbours engaged in their latest hostilities.
The United States and Pakistan announced a trade deal on 31 July with a 19% tariff rate imposed by Washington. Trump is yet to reach a trade deal with India.
Officials and analysts have noted that after tensions with Washington, New Delhi is recalibrating relations with China as a hedge.
Trump welcomed Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir earlier this year, the first time a U.S. president hosted the head of Pakistan's army - widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country - at the White House, unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials.
"We're working through a number of issues when it comes to counter-terrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties," a senior State Department official told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday when asked about Pakistan.
"And so the president remains focused on advancing U.S. interests in the region, that includes through engaging with Pakistan and their government leaders," the official said.
When asked about frictions with India, the official said Trump believed in being frank about frustrations in ties but the relationship was strong. Washington viewed New Delhi as a good friend and partner and believed their relationship would define the 21st century, the official said.
They added that Washington had been working on planning for a summit of the Quad grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the United States that India had been expected to hold in November. That would happen, "if not this year, early next year," the official said.
Pakistan has backed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, although Islamabad has condemned U.S. ally Israel's bombardments in Gaza, Qatar and Iran.
Sharif was part of a meeting Trump had on Tuesday with leaders of many Muslim-majority countries where the U.S. president discussed Israel's assault on Gaza.
Washington says the U.S. shared peace proposals with leaders from those countries in the meeting held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.
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The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Palestine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has said the permanence and success of the Gaza ceasefire depend on a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to efforts to dictate Gaza’s future.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
South Korea has said it will uphold its trade agreement with the U.S. despite President Donald Trump’s announcement of higher tariffs on South Korean goods.
Iranian citizens and businesses are continuing to feel the impact of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed amid a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protests, with access to the global web still largely cut off more than two weeks later.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Severe storms have disrupted cargo flows across Europe, shutting terminals and slowing vessel movements for some of the world’s biggest carriers.
The Kremlin has reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, stressing that any meeting must be fully prepared and aimed at achieving concrete results.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
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