Prime Minister Imran Khan departs in the morning here today for his 3 days official visit of United States of America from 21st July to 23rd July through a commercial flight. During his visit to Washington, Prime Minister will meet with the U.S. political leadership in the Administration and Congress. He will also engage with the major corporate and financial leaders, media personnel and opinion makers. Prime Minister’s Engagements in Washington On 21 July, President of the World Bank and Managing Director of the IMF will call on the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will also address the Pakistani-American community in the evening. The meeting with President Trump will take place at the White House on 22 July 2019. There will be two sessions at the White House. President Trump will also host the PM and his delegation on lunch. The Prime Minister will have interaction with the US media. A round table dinner with select CEOs and corporate leaders is also planned. Prime Minister will deliver a talk at the United States Institute of Peace on 23 July. The Prime Minister will be received by the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He will also meet with members of the Pakistan Congressional Caucus. Interaction with speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Ms. Nancy Pelosi is also envisaged. In his various interactions, the Prime Minister will outline his vision of “Naya Pakistan” and Pakistan’s positive contributions to peace and stability in the region. The investment-friendly climate, trade and business opportunities in Pakistan will also be highlighted. PAKISTAN U.S. RELATIONS 1) An Enduring Relationship Pakistan- U.S. relationship is historic and wide-ranging. The two countries have been partners and allies in furtherance of common objectives of promoting peace and prosperity in the region and beyond. Bilateral cooperation covers the diverse areas of economy and finance, trade& investment, energy, science, education and technology, law enforcement and counter-terrorism, defence, security and strategic stability. 2) Economic and Trade Relations The U.S. is one of Pakistan’s major trading partners. Pakistan-U.S. trade reached US$ 6.627 billion in 2018-19 – an all-time high. Pakistan’s major exports to the U.S. include textiles and apparel (80% of total exports), leather goods, surgical instruments, lamps, carpets, jewelry and plastics. Major U.S. exports to Pakistan include grain, seeds, cotton, iron and steel, machinery and optical and medical instruments. The two countries are exploring ways and means to further enhance and diversify the bilateral trade. The U.S. has also been one of the major foreign investors in Pakistan. The U.S. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is primarily focused on Food & Beverages, Chemicals, Financial business, Oil & Gas exploration, cement, construction, communication and electronic sectors of Pakistan. Total U.S. FDI in Pakistan for FY 2019 (July-May) was around US$ 121.80 Million. Pakistan would welcome the investment by U.S. companies in the Special Economic Zones. U.S has also been a major source of remittances for Pakistan. During FY 2019 (July-May), remittances from the U.S. stood at $ 3.13 billion indicating significant growth over the past year (2.7 billion). 3) Liberalization of Visas for U.S. Nationals Government of Pakistan has liberalized its visa policy to promote tourism. The U.S nationals can get five-year multiple entry visas for tourism and business purposes. 4) People to People Contacts Around One million Pakistani-Americans reside in the U.S. who are contributing to the local economy and enrich the social fabric of American society. These Pakistani-Americans represent a strong link between the two countries. Large number of Pakistani-Americans have made valuable investments in their country of origin. Prime Minister has offered special incentives to overseas Pakistanis to invest in business and housing sectors. Special quota has been earmarked in Prime Minister’s Mega Housing Project for overseas Pakistanis. 5) Cooperation on Regional Security Pakistan fully supports the U.S. objectives of political settlement in Afghanistan and has played a facilitating role in the Afghan peace process. Pakistan has provided its Ground Lines of Communications (GLOCs) to the U.S since 2001 to facilitate its troops presence in Afghanistan. Air Lines of Communication have also been provided to the US authorities. Pakistan has also welcomed the U.S role in de-escalation of tensions in South Asia. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
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