ISLAMABAD: United States Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer on Wednesday highlighted the valuable contributions of the US-Pakistani diaspora, which was a key partner in the humanitarian, social, and commercial sectors in Pakistan.
Andrew Schofer, at a US-Pakistani diaspora conference here in the Federal Capital, also shed light on the longstanding US-Pakistan partnership to advance Pakistan’s economic growth and emphasized continued opportunities for the future partnership, according to an embassy news release.
“As the Green Revolution improved lives in the past, a ‘Green Alliance’ between the United States and Pakistan will help us jointly strengthen climate resilience, develop clean energy alternatives, and foster economic growth,” he said.
At the event, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) signed four partnership memoranda of understanding with US-Pakistani diaspora entities, under which the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America, Silicon Valley will promote technology and digital investments in Pakistan and support Pakistani startups; SARCMedIQ to improve the health digital ecosystem in Pakistan; The Crescent Charity Foundation to support physical infrastructure in flood-affected areas of Pakistan; and PakFoods to improve humanitarian and social development outcomes for Pakistan.
The conference, which was sponsored by the US Embassy in close coordination with the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America, Silicon Valley, deliberated on the fundamental challenges and opportunities in the technology sector of Pakistan.
More than 300 participants attended in-person, including members of the US-Pakistani diaspora, prominent local business leaders, and Pakistani officials, including Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar and Prime Minister’s Ambassador at Large for Investments Zeeshaan Shah.
USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman, in his remarks, said, “The conference was an opportunity to highlight some of the contributions and investments already made by the Pakistani diaspora, facilitate collaborations between Pakistani diaspora entities, and develop a road map for collective action to address the current economic, humanitarian and social challenges in Pakistan.”
The US remained firmly committed to engaging and partnering with the US-Pakistani diaspora to address Pakistan’s challenges in the technology, humanitarian, social and commercial sectors and to further its development goals, he added.
