Ahead of the crucial meeting between President Barack Obama and Nawaz Sharif, top US officials have discussed with the Pakistan Prime Minister the broader contours of cooperation in the two critical areas of energy and economy.
US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew along with several of his cabinet colleagues and top officials of the Obama Administration met Sharif and his delegation over a dinner last night to discuss ways the US can help in addressing two top priorities of his government — energy and economy.
A Treasury spokesperson, described this as “an inter-agency discussion” of Pakistan’s energy sector and opportunities for trade and investment.
“The participants discussed Pakistan’s priorities for energy sector reform, including strategies for developing Pakistan’s domestic energy resources and rationalising regulation and pricing, and reviewed Prime Minister Sharif’s agenda for improving Pakistan’s trade and investment climate in order to attract new foreign investment,” the spokesperson said.
Besides Lew, the US side on the dinner table was represented by the Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, US Trade Representative Michael Froman and USAUD Administrator Raj Shah.
Sharif was accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Pakistan in US, Asad Majeed Khan.
Sharif’s meeting with Obama at the Oval Office of the White House will round off his four-day official US trip, the first by a Pakistani leader in more than five years.
“Lew encouraged Sharif to continue his government’s efforts to improve public finances,” the Treasury spokesperson said.
“The Secretary also welcomed the Government of Pakistan’s recent efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and looked forward to continuing to cooperate in order to address these illicit finance threats. They also discussed Pakistan’s energy needs in light of international sanctions on Iran,” the spokesperson said after the dinner.