ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar discussed bilateral relations and tariffs with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement, as Islamabad gears up for its “final” round of trade talks with Washington.
Pakistan and the US have been engaged in talks after Washington announced a 29 percent “reciprocal tariff” on Pakistani exports in April. Islamabad said the move, paused on April 9 for a 90-day period, may undercut its fragile, export-led recovery. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb left for the US on Monday to hold a “final” round of talks with Washington, the Pakistani finance ministry said a day earlier.
Dar spoke to Rubio over the telephone on Monday, the Pakistani foreign ministry said. The Pakistani deputy premier met the US official in Washington last Friday in a face-to-face meeting, during which Rubio recognized Pakistan’s role for peace in the region. Dar had pointed out that this was the first time in nine years that the foreign ministers of the US and Pakistan had met each other.
“Following up on their productive meeting last Friday in Washington D.C., they discussed key bilateral matters, including tariffs, as well as regional & global issues of mutual interest,” the foreign ministry said about Dar’s telephone call with Rubio.
