Washington: Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, has underscored the nation’s aspiration to fortify trade relations with the United States. Speaking at a fireside chat hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Geo Economics Center in the U.S. capital, Aurangzeb outlined plans for proactive engagement to address existing trade imbalances. A high-level Pakistani delegation is anticipated to visit the U.S. soon to further these discussions.

During his visit, Aurangzeb engaged with institutional investors, where he shared insights into Pakistan’s economic landscape, highlighting fiscal and monetary advancements and ongoing reforms. In a separate meeting with Martin Raiser, World Bank’s Vice President for South Asia, Aurangzeb expressed gratitude for the newly approved ten-year Country Partnership Framework.

The finance minister also met with a delegation from Deutsche Bank, where he articulated Pakistan’s interest in re-entering financial markets through instruments such as Panda and ESG bonds, citing the country’s enhanced macroeconomic stability and improved credit ratings as positive indicators.

In discussions with Moody’s commercial team, Aurangzeb provided updates on Pakistan’s fiscal health, including current account surpluses, decreasing inflation, stable exchange rates, and robust foreign reserves. The dialogue also explored the potential for future collaboration on the Panda Bond initiative.

Aurangzeb also held talks with Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Murshid, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development. During this meeting, he expressed appreciation for the Saudi government’s interest in investment projects in Pakistan and requested expedited disbursement of funds from the Saudi Oil Facility. The discussion also covered the progress of ongoing projects, with a focus on securing financial support for the N-25 infrastructure project.