Vedant Patel said, “Pakistan continues to be one of our most important partners in the region”
In a recent press briefing, the US Department of State dismissed any notions of strained relations between Islamabad and Washington, following the imposition of sanctions on four commercial entities allegedly associated with Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
During the briefing held on Thursday, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, unequivocally stated, “Absolutely not. You’ve heard me say this before. Pakistan continues to be one of our most important partners in the region.”
Patel emphasized the ongoing cooperation between the US and Pakistan, particularly in the realms of security and trade. “This is a robust relationship and we’ll look to continue strengthening it,” he asserted in response to questions about potential tensions between the two nations.
The remarks come in the wake of the US State Department’s decision to impose sanctions on three Chinese entities and one from Belarus for allegedly supplying materials to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) swiftly rejected the imposition of sanctions as “political use” of export control measures. FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch underscored that such listings have occurred previously without substantive evidence being shared.
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