ISLAMABAD: In his first meeting with ambassador Masood Khan, President Joe Biden expressed his administration’s desire to build a strong basis for the bilateral relationship forward, Pakistan’s embassy in Washington said.
The wish to improve the relations was conveyed to Khan on his maiden visit to the White House after assuming office on March 25 to call on President Biden and have an official photograph with him — an established tradition in Washington for newly-appointed diplomats.
During the ceremony, Biden and Khan engaged in a brief conversation and discussed “building a strong basis” to move the ties forward, said a press statement issued by the embassy.
Sardar Masood Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, visited the White House to meet and greet President Joe Biden and have an official photograph with him which is an established tradition here in Washington D.C. @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/DtJV59fgvk
— Pakistan Embassy US (@PakinUSA) June 14, 2022
Pakistan-US relations have remained strained since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year. The latest engagement comes after a year-long turbulent phase in the bilateral relationship.
Former prime minister Imran Khan’s anti-US outlook and criticism of Washington’s regional policies appeared to have angered the United States. His criticism of US President Biden’s decision to freeze $7 billion in Afghanistan funds held in the US and apparent refusal to offer military bases for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, among other developments, virtually brought the relationship to a standstill.
Moreover, Khan’s government made it worse by not criticizing Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. The relationship broke down further when Khan decided to visit Russia on the eve of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
During the ceremony on Tuesday, some 46 other ambassadors were also there for an official photograph with the president. They too had not been able to call on Biden for over a year due to Covid-19 social curbs.
Khan arrived in Washington on March 25. His credentials were formally accepted by Biden on April 22, the embassy said.
“The official photograph completes all formalities,” it said.
