WASHINGTON: Pakistan ambassador to US Ali Jehangir Siddiqui has said; "There is a lot of growth in Pak-US trade relation that could occur," he made this remarks during an interview with foreign channel on Monday.
Discussing the current state of Pakistan-US relations and the challenges for country's economy, Siddiqui said that importing more US natural gas is key to diversifying his nation’s energy supply while expanding trade relations, adding; “Pakistan is on its way to becoming one of the world’s largest gas importers, and the US is well on its way to becoming the world’s largest LNG exporter.”
He said, in coming future, a huge US investment would be witnessed in the country as a number of US companies are keen to invest in Pakistan.
According to the former banker and private equity executive who’s a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, the country’s economic imbalance requires "structural change."
To a question, Siddiqui, who was appointed ambassador in March, said peace in Afghanistan is his top policy priority, adding that Pakistan is working on a second portion of a fence at its border with its war-torn neighbour.
He further said that fence is a clear sign of Pakistan’s interest in ending the regional conflict and will help neighbours equally in doing so.
Responding to a query about US allegations that Pakistan fails to crack down on terrorists operating from its territory, the ambassador said "Until we complete this fence, it’s unreasonable to say we aren’t doing anything."
While highlighting Pakistan unmatched sacrifices to establish peace, the ambassador said that crime rate in the country has significantly reduced.