ISLAMABAD: A series of high-level talks are reportedly on the horizon as the United States is thought to have expanded its interaction with the Sharif Administration, it emerged on Friday.
Senior representatives of the US Department of Treasury will visit Pakistan from January 23–25, 2023, to discuss various aspects of financial assistance and other issues. This will be done in light of the financial difficulties Pakistan is currently experiencing as a result of the ongoing impasse in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Business Recorder reported citing sources.
The report claimed that visit of the US officials to Pakistan and meeting with the authorities may help ease/repair relations with the IMF as assistance from other financial institutions like World Bank, Asian Development Bank is also linked to the successful completion of the ninth IMF review.
According to sources, the US State Department has noted that the 9th Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFA) Council meeting is scheduled to be held on February 23, 2023 in Washington D.C.
The US Trade Representative, Katherine Tai and Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar would lead their respective delegations.
According to sources in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is an important development as the last (8th) TIFA Council was held 7 years ago in October 2016.
