WASHINGTON: According to Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, there is “no misunderstanding” between Pakistan and the US regarding Islamabad’s purchase of discounted Russian oil.
Speaking at a conference in Washington, Khan emphasized that the reset of the Islamabad-Washington relationship is “transcending the past.” He confirmed that Pakistan had placed its first order for Russian oil and that the purchase had been made in consultation with the US government.
Khan added that the US had suggested that Pakistan is free to buy anything below or up to the price cap, which is set at $60 per barrel, and that Washington was fine with the arrangement.
He said that Pakistan’s relationship with the US had suffered a “brief period of uncertainty” following the US-led military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, when the Taliban seized control of the country. However, Khan confirmed that the relationship was back on track and that both sides were working to boost economic and security partnerships.
Elizabeth Horst, a senior State Department official who also spoke at the conference, concurred. She said that the last year had helped reset the US-Pakistan relationship.
Horst highlighted the close cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade and investment, climate change, security, and regional security. Horst also praised the Green Alliance and collaboration in energy security and climate change as the new anchor to further advance bilateral ties.
On the security front, Horst observed the US was more aligned than ever with Pakistan on how to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a base for terrorism. She added the two countries were looking at how they can cooperate on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, anti-human trafficking, and ensuring that Afghanistan is never again a base for terrorism.
Khan said that Pakistan seeks to forge strong ties with the US and make them stronger. He also urged the US to revive its role in strategic stability in South Asia, cautioning about the serious perils of the policy of imbalance in the region. In this regard, Khan said the US should restore Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, which were suspended by the previous administration.
