Pakistan wants enduring ties with US: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and multi-domain enduring relationship with the United States.

The COAS was talking to a delegation headed by US State Department Counselor Derek H Chollet during a meeting at the GHQ on Thursday.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed and both sides agreed on enhancing defence and security cooperation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said.

The visiting dignitaries expressed their grief over the devastation caused by ongoing floods in Pakistan and offered sincere condolence to the families of victims.

They offered USA’s support to the people of Pakistan in this hour of need. The dignitaries appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for regional stability and also pledged to play their role in enhancing cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

The COAS thanked the US support and reiterated that assistance from our global partners shall be vital in relief/rehabilitation of the flood victims.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a separate meeting with the American diplomat that the international community must step up its fight against climate change to avoid more deadly flooding in Pakistan.

He made the comment in a meeting with Derek Chollet, a senior State Department official visiting Islamabad to assess damages and arrange for aid in the wake of floods that have killed 1,355 people, affected 3.3 million people and made more than half a million homeless.

According to a government statement, Chollet “affirmed that the US would stand by Pakistan in the wake of this immense challenge, extend vital support, and help affected people rebuild their lives and communities.”

The meeting came a day ahead of the first American planeload expected to arrive in Pakistan with supplies. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also was to arrive in Pakistan Friday (today) to travel to flood-hit areas.

Guterres is arriving in Pakistan less than two weeks after he issued an appeal for $160 million in emergency funding to help millions affected by record-breaking floods that have caused at least $10 billion in damages.

Last week, Guterres warned about the effects of climate change in the future. “Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he said on August 31 in a video message to a ceremony in Islamabad.

“Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country,” he said at the time. So far, UN agencies and several countries have sent dozens of planeloads of aid to Pakistani flood victims.

Washington has announced the US will provide $30 million in assistance to help victims of the flood. The catastrophe has added new burdens to the cash-strapped Pakistan and highlighted the disproportionate effect of climate change on the country.

Experts say Pakistan is responsible for only 0.4% of the world’s historic emissions blamed for climate change. The US is responsible for 21.5%, China for 16.5% and the EU 15%.

Meanwhile, there was a meeting at the Foreign Office between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the US State Department counselor who is visiting Pakistan while leading a US interagency delegation to meet with senior government officials, as well as civil society and private sector leaders, to reaffirm the US commitment to Pakistan during the catastrophic flooding.

Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar was also present when Derek Chollet called on the Foreign Minister.

The counselor’s large interagency delegation according to his office, demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a broad-ranging partnership with the government and people of Pakistan.

The US interagency delegation includes State Department Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Horst, United States Agency for International Development Deputy Assistant Administrator Maria Longi, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Rebecca Zimmerman, and National Security Council Director for Pakistan Courtenay Dunn.

Earlier, there was the Congressional delegation in Pakistan while the USAID administrator is also visiting. Bilawal in a Tweet said that he in his meeting with Derek Chollet thanked the US for its humanitarian relief, and discussions included a briefing on the rescue and relief efforts by the government and mentioned the continuing good momentum in Pak-US relations and the solidarity that is expressed by such visits.

“Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening 75 years of bilateral ties and cooperation in health, energy, trade and investment and climate change”, noted the Foreign Minister.

The foreign minister maintained that in recent months there has been a steady momentum of engagement between Pakistan and the United States. Pakistan was committed to deepening and broadening its long-standing relationship with the US, based on mutual trust and mutual respect.

The foreign minister while thanking the counselor for his visit at this difficult hour, appreciated the strong expression of support and solidarity by the US government. He sensitized them that almost a third of Pakistan’s territory was under water. Over 1,300 had lost their lives; more than 33 million were affected; critical infrastructure had been destroyed; over 4 million acres of crops had been washed away, and close to a million livestock had already perished.

The foreign minister said that, at present, the government was fully engaged in the rapid rescue and relief efforts to save lives. At the same time, the long-term impacts on food security, health, and the economy were a matter of serious concern. Rehabilitation of the millions impacted, reconstruction, rebuilding communities and addressing the economic repercussions would require enormous resources.

He added that it was unfortunate that although Pakistan contributed less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions, it suffered the severity of climate change. He thanked the US government for the US $31.1 million in relief assistance. He also underscored the need for the international community to step up their ambition in climate financing towards mitigation, adaptation and resilience, especially in developing countries.

Counselor Chollet underlined that the US was committed to supporting Pakistan in its efforts to deal with the devastation caused by the floods. He agreed with the Foreign Minister to reinforce ongoing engagement in various sectors and to explore more areas of cooperation to widen and strengthen this relationship.

Ahead of the visit of Counselor Chollet, his office had announced that his delegation will discuss recently announced US assistance and emphasize US interest in continuing to partner with Pakistan to alleviate the damage from recent floods and torrential rains.

While in Pakistan, Counselor Chollet and his delegation will commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations and discuss a wide range of issues, including improving trade and investment ties, advancing bilateral health cooperation, cooperating to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, and expanding our people-to-people connections.