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In the 75 years since that historic day, Pakistan and the United States have built a multifaceted and broad-based relationship, driven by cooperation in areas ranging from education to energy and from defense to trade and investment. This cooperation is rooted in shared values and convergence of interest on regional and strategic issues.
The two countries were close strategic partners during the Cold War. As fellow members of organizations, like SEATO, Pakistan and the United States worked together to check communist expansionism in the region. In 1971, Pakistan played a critical role in facilitating the China-U.S. rapprochement that fundamentally reconfigured the Cold War. Cooperation between Pakistan and the U.S. was also crucial to the eventual Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989.
Following the terrible events of 9/11, Pakistan and United States again joined hands in the fight against terrorism. Together, the two countries decimated Al Qaeda’s infrastructure and have significantly degraded the threat posed by other terrorist groups in the region. Today, Pakistan and the United States are actively engaged in efforts to restore peace to Afghanistan, and are key partners in several multilateral initiatives aimed at that objective.
Robust economic and cultural cooperation complement the strategic and security underpinnings of the Pakistan-U.S. relationship. The U.S. has historically been one of Pakistan’s most important development partners and remains a major source of foreign direct investment as well as one of Pakistan’s biggest export markets. The United States has been a major investor in Pakistan’s infrastructure, energy and education sectors – the last exemplified by the largest Fulbright Program run by the United States anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile, common values bring the Pakistani and American people together. The common aspiration towards democracy, diversity and the rule of law animates the societies of both countries. The 1 million-plus strong Pakistani-American community in the United States is not only a bridge between the two countries but comprises many outstanding entrepreneurs, doctors and academics who contribute to and enrich American society.
Located in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions in the world, Pakistan is an emerging economy with rapidly developing industrial and connectivity infrastructure.
If the past 75 years have seen Pakistan and the United States work together in successfully dealing with some of the leading geopolitical challenges of our times, the 21st century offers tremendous potential for economic cooperation that would bring growth and jobs to both countries.
Pakistan is open for business.
