National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza on Tuesday reiterated the need to strengthen the existing relations between Pakistan and the US through improving parliamentary ties and economic cooperation.
Talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, who called on the NA speaker at the Parliament House, Fehmida said friendship between both countries was based on mutual trust and benefit, which gradually transformed into comprehensive strategic partnership in the recent years.
She said parliamentarians from both countries could help build bridges of friendship and understanding between their respective nations. She praised Washington’s support to Islamabad in diverse fields specially the socio-economic sector in the country. She commended the US support during the devastating floods last year.
The speaker said Pakistan had been badly affected by terrorism and extremism and the government firmly resolved to fight the scourge with its indigenous resources. However, she emphasised the need for support of the international community in this regard.
Munter said the US recognised Pakistan’s contribution and sacrifices made against terrorism. He said the US was committed to helping Pakistan in its socio-economic development, adding that the US believed in a stable and prosperous Pakistan which was in the best interest of the region and the world.
The US envoy said the US would help Pakistan meet its energy shortages, agreeing that interaction between parliamentarians of both nations would build trust and confidence between their governments and institutions. He assured the NA speaker of his government’s support for capacity-building of parliamentarians, parliamentary support staff, library and research and establishment of the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS).
Later in the day, Hiroshi Oe, Japan’s ambassador to Pakistan, called on the NA speaker.
Talking to him, Fehmida said Pakistan attached immense importance to its relations with Japan and considered it its economic partner. She praised the Japanese support for the socio-economic uplift in the rural areas of Pakistan especially the flood-torn areas.
She said she strongly desired to strengthen existing bilateral ties through parliamentary interaction. She said the Pakistan Japan Friendship Group had been set up in the National Assembly of Pakistan which would hold interactive meetings with their Japanese counterparts.
Oe praised the sentiments of the NA speaker and said his government also attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan, adding that the Japanese government valued Pakistani support during devastating tsunami floods. He said Japanese investors had shown keen interest in the investment policies of Pakistan and would invest in diverse fields here.
