US envoy Blome calls on PAF chief

ISLAMABAD: The United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, in his office on Thursday.

Both the dignitaries discussed matters pertaining to geo-political environment, emerging regional security challenges, augmenting the already fortified bilateral ties and fostering collaborative endeavours within the realms of defence and aviation, the PAF spokesman said.

The air chief underscored the cordial relations that exist between the two nations while emphasizing his steadfast determination to elevate the existing synergistic partnership between the two key allies.

“Pakistan deeply values its robust diplomatic, economic and defence ties with the United States of America which are firmly rooted in mutual consensus concerning all important matters pertaining to regional peace, security and stability,” the air chief said.

Meanwhile, the visiting envoy praised the level of professionalism of Pakistan Air Force personnel and acknowledged the remarkable strides made by the PAF through indigenisation under the current leadership. Recognising the importance of rigorous and comprehensive training, he assured to play his role to address the gaps in the training domain so as to ensure the PAF personnel receive the highest quality training, enabling them to meet the evolving challenges of modern warfare.

The US envoy also expressed his admiration for Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to facilitate regional peace and stability.

Both the dignitaries agreed to further optimise the existing military-to-military relationship between the two countries with specific focus on enriching training and bolstering operational competencies.

“The meeting between the US ambassador and air chief manifests the deep interest and willingness on both sides to further consolidate the longstanding bilateral strategic ties into concrete and mutually rewarding defence partnership. The visit will contribute to further enhancement of multi-faceted collaboration between the two countries,” the PAF spokesman said.