Blinken and Bilawal meet and discuss ways to deepen ties
Key Takeaways:
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the United Nations on Wednesday.
- On Wednesday, Pakistan and the IMF began discussions to resurrect an expanded bailout package to support the cash-strapped country's ailing economy.
At the United Nations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday, and their discussions focused on regional security as well as bilateral economic and commercial ties.
Bilawal is visiting the United States for the first time at Blinken's invitation to attend a ministerial conference on the "Global Food Security Call to Action" at the United Nations later on Wednesday. For May, the United States is the United Nations Security Council president, and Blinken is in New York, convening meetings to mobilize action on global food security.
Blinken said before he met with Bilawal, which was their first face-to-face encounter, that Washington was "extremely thrilled" to be working with the foreign minister and a new government in Pakistan.
"Of course, we're both here first and foremost for the ministerial meeting on food security that we'll be having later today." We're seeing this challenge all around the planet. In many regions, there was a pre-existing problem regarding food insecurity. "Russia's assault against Ukraine has aggravated it enormously, adding another 40 million people to the food insecure," he said.
Pak Taliban prolonged cease-fire
After an initial round of talks hosted by the Afghan Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban announced on Wednesday that they are extending a truce with the government until May 30.
The discussions begin with the IMF.
Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) began talks on Wednesday to revive an enlarged bailout package to help the cash-strapped country's slumping economy.
Pakistan has often requested international assistance to help its faltering economy.
According to the finance ministry, the negotiations are taking place in Doha, Qatar's capital. According to the report, the talks are anticipated to last through next week.
As per the media report, the Pakistani government decided on Wednesday to restrict the import of non-essential, including luxury commodities, to avoid a financial catastrophe due to diminishing foreign reserves.