US Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Natalie Baker calls agreement \u2018another example of strength of US-Pakistan bilateral relationship\u2019
\n Islamabad
\nA US company focused on critical minerals signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) on Monday, in a deal both sides said would strengthen bilateral cooperation.
\nThe MoU was signed at the Prime Minister\u2019s House in Islamabad by a delegation led by US Strategic Metals (USSM), accompanied by Embassy Islamabad Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Zach Harkenrider.
\nUS Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Natalie Baker said the agreement reflected the depth of ties between the two nations. \u201cThis signing is yet another example of the strength of the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship that will benefit both countries,\u201d she said in a statement.
\nBaker said Washington placed high priority on such agreements. \u201cThe Trump administration has made the forging of such deals a key priority given the importance of critical mineral resources to American security and prosperity,\u201d she said. \u201cWe look forward to seeing future agreements between US companies and their counterparts in the critical minerals and mining sector in Pakistan.\u201d
\nUSSM, based in Missouri, is engaged in producing and recycling critical minerals defined by the US Department of Energy as vital for advanced manufacturing and energy production.
\nAccording to the statement issued by the PM\u2019s Office, a high-level US business delegation visited Pakistan this week to explore opportunities for expanding mining operations and investing in infrastructure and value-added mineral processing.
\nThe delegation, comprising representatives of USSM and Mota-Engil, toured Pakistan from September 7\u20139. It held high-level meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the petroleum minister and the federal commerce minister.
\nThe companies were briefed on Pakistan\u2019s vast mineral reserves, including copper, gold and rare earth elements. The visit was supported by the US Embassy in Islamabad and underscored \u201cstrong bilateral ties in the economic and investment sectors,\u201d the statement added.
\nDuring the visit, the firms expressed willingness to invest in setting up value-addition facilities, expanding mineral processing capacity and financing large-scale infrastructure projects linked to mining.
\nIn the second term of Donald Trump\u2019s presidency, US-Pakistan relations have taken a new turn, particularly after the conflict with India. In late July, the United States struck a trade deal with Pakistan. Trump said the agreement included joint development of the country\u2019s \u201cmassive\u201d oil reserves.
\n\u201cWe have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,\u201d Trump wrote in post on his social media platform of \u2018Truth Social\u2019.
\n\u201cWe are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they\u2019ll be selling Oil to India some day!\u201d the US president wrote in his post, without giving additional details of the deal.
\nPM Shehbaz also expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his role in finalising a \u201chistoric\u201d trade agreement between Pakistan and the United States.
\n\u201cI wish to convey my profound thanks to President Trump for his leadership role in finalization of the historic US-Pakistan trade agreement, successfully concluded by our two sides in Washington, last night,\u201d the prime minister wrote on his X timeline.
\nEarlier in June, COAS Munir also held a one-on-one meeting with Trump. Trump said it was an honour to meet Field Marshal Munir during a luncheon held at the White House on Wednesday.
\nSpeaking to the media after the event, Trump extended his gratitude to Pakistan\u2019s military chief for visiting and acknowledged the army chief\u2019s role in helping avert further military escalation with India.
\n\u201cIt is an honour for me to meet Asim Munir,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI invited him to thank him for not going to war. He deserves appreciation for helping secure the ceasefire. Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers. We\u2019re in talks with Pakistan on a trade agreement. The leadership of both nations is truly remarkable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
US Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Natalie Baker calls agreement \u2018another example of strength of US-Pakistan bilateral relationship\u2019 Islamabad A US company focused on critical minerals signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) on Monday, in a deal both sides said would strengthen bilateral cooperation. The MoU was signed at the Prime Minister\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":501620,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-501597","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n