Post-COP27 summit: US official holds meetings in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The first meeting after last month’s COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh between a senior US diplomat from Washington and three senior ministers regarding Pakistan‘s flood recovery efforts took place in Islamabad this week.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Elizabeth Horst undertook a two-day visit to Islamabad on December 8-9 to discuss US support for Pakistan’s flood recovery with government leaders.”During her visit, Horst met with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman, Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, and Chief of Staff of the National Disaster Management Authority Brigadier Naik Nam,” said a spokesperson at the US Embassy after Ms. Horst’s visit.The US says Ms. Horst’s visit and her discussions underscored the US government’s commitment to working with Pakistan to support its flood recovery efforts, improve access to renewable energy, respond to climate change, and address challenges that stand in the way of expanding trade and investment between our countries.

Unlike when foreign dignitaries meet with senior diplomats at the Foreign Office, surprisingly, there was no statement issued by the ministry.When asked about the details of the meeting between Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar, and Ms. Horst and what transpired between the two sides, the Foreign Office did not deny it. A spokeswoman at the Foreign Office responded to The News, saying, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not issue a press release or tweet on every meeting. The meeting you refer to was operational and was therefore not broadcast.”The United States is to be recalled and has provided more than $97 million to support flood relief, food security, and disaster preparedness in Pakistan this year.Horst’s visit was part of an ongoing effort to explore further ways to support Pakistan’s flood recovery and resilience, including through the US-Pakistan Green Alliance,” added the spokesperson at the US Embassy.

Important for Washington is its position that humanitarian relief and flood recovery should be inclusive.The US-Pakistan Green Alliance is a framework to address shared challenges relating to agriculture, energy, water, and other environmental issues; strengthen climate resilience, and foster inclusive economic growth. These issues point out that the US is even more critical in the aftermath of the devastating floods.Horst also spoke with members of Pakistan’s civil society to discuss initiatives to combat gender-based violence, as well as strategies to ensure underserved communities are represented in flood recovery efforts.Horst also held a discussion with leaders of civil society with expertise in humanitarian relief, women’s rights, children’s rights, and minority rights.

For 75 years, the United States has valued our long-standing bilateral partnership with Pakistan. As Pakistan continues to recover from the floods, our support for affected communities will remain steadfast,” said the spokesperson at the US Embassy.