Washington: A delegation from the United States, led by the Trump administration under the guidance of the State Department, is set to visit Pakistan next week.
The delegation will participate in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum from April 8 to 10.
During the visit, they will also hold meetings with Pakistani officials to enhance economic cooperation and boost investment.
Eric Meyer, a senior official from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will lead the delegation.
This marks the first visit by a US official to Pakistan since Donald Trump assumed the presidency.
The delegation will include representatives from companies interested in Pakistan’s mineral sector.
In addition to economic discussions, Eric Meyer is expected to engage with senior Pakistani officials on counter-terrorism cooperation.
Meyer, as per a statement released by the US Department of State, will lead a US delegation in Islamabad from April 8 to April 10.
The US official’s visit comes against the backdrop of Washington’s decision of imposing 29% tariff on imports from Pakistan — one of the sharpest economic strikes in recent history.
In light of President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement — set to come into force on April 9 — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has two specialised bodies to address and formulate a policy response in this regard.
With Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb saying that a high-level delegation will travel to Washington to convey Pakistan’s position and further dialogue with US officials, Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has remarked that Islamabad was making every effort to secure flexibility with regards to the US tariff policy.
Meanwhile, the scheduled visit by US State Dept official and delegation is to be specifically taken in the context of the upcoming Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 (PMIF25) set to be held in the federal capital in the ongoing month, reported The News.
During the forum, the PM Shehbaz-led government is set to market its mineral-rich landscape, which covers an outcrop area of approximately 600,000 square kilometres in the country.
The forum will serve as a premier platform for global stakeholders, foreign investors, leading corporations, policymakers, international diplomats, financial organisations and industry experts to explore lucrative opportunities in the country’s mining sector.
Despite its huge potential, the mineral sector currently contributes around 3.2% to the country’s GDP, with exports accounting for only 0.1% of the world’s total. However, with increasing exploration, foreign investment, and infrastructural improvements, Pakistan’s mining industry is poised for significant expansion.
