Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, travelled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for high-level diplomatic discussions.
Following Dar's engagements at the UN Security Council in New York, the upcoming crucial meeting is a key component of Pakistan's elevated diplomatic stature.
The visit coincides with Islamabad's reported efforts to negotiate a peace deal that would put an end to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Dar will meet with Rubio "to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest," Reuters quoted Pakistan's Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Thursday.
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In a fresh statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office, Dar has arrived in Washington to meet with Marco Rubio on May 29.
"Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington, D.C., on an official visit. Upon his arrival, he was received by Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior officials of the Embassy of Pakistan," stated Pakistan's Foreign Ministry in an official post on its X handle.
"During the visit, DPM/FM will meet with U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio to discuss matters of bilateral and regional significance. Following the conclusion of his official engagements, he will return to Islamabad later the same day."
The meeting's main focus is Islamabad's backchannel diplomacy. In an effort to reach a peace agreement to put an end to the current confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran, Pakistan is serving as the main negotiator.
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The leaders are debating how to improve investment and trade relations. In addition, a trade mission from Pakistan is in Washington to finalise agreements for increased imports of cotton and soybeans from the United States.
Conversations focus on cooperative approaches to address changing regional security risks, particularly focusing on organisations such as ISIS-K. This is in line with getting ready for the U.S.-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue that will take place in Islamabad in August.
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