United States President Joe Biden has emphasised on the significance of Washington’s ties with Islamabad for “regional stability and security”, as he received the ‘Letter of Credence’ from Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.
According to a statement released by the Pakistan Embassy in the US on Wednesday, Sheikh presented Biden with the credentials at a ceremony at the Blair House — the US president’s official guest house — in Washington, DC.
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“The relationship between our two countries remains important for regional stability and security. We appreciate US-Pakistan cooperation on countering terrorist threats,” said Biden during the ceremony.
The US president maintained that the two countries share “a desire to build upon our bilateral relationship and strengthen” ties moving forward.
Biden’s statement comes at a time when his government continues to impose sanctions on entities involved in advancing Pakistan’s arms and weapons capabilities.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, during a press briefing on Tuesday, reiterated Washington’s ‘longstanding policy’ denying support to the country’s ballistic missile programme.
He said that while Pakistan has been a long-term partner of the US, there are disagreements. “… and when we have disagreements, we won’t hesitate to act on those to protect America’s interests.”
Miller added that the US will continue to use sanctions and other tools to ensure its national security remains unimpacted and that the country’s financial system is not used by proliferators.
Biden, meanwhile, termed the “enduring partnership” between Pakistan and the US as “critical to ensuring the security of our people and people around the world”.
“The United States will continue to stand with Pakistan to tackle the most pressing global and regional challenges of our time,” he added.
The 81-year-old US president highlighted that both countries “stand united in the face of significant challenges posed by climate change, regional security threats, and global health security.”
