WASHINGTON: Pakistan army chief Asim Munir (pic) is on his second visit to the US in less than two months to meet top American military officials, signalling improving ties between the countries.
Munir held talks with US Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Dan Caine and invited him to visit Pakistan, according to a statement from Pakistan’s military wing. They discussed matters of "mutual professional interest,” it said.
Munir also attended a ceremony where US Central Command commander, General Michael E. Kurilla, retired and handed over office to Admiral Brad Cooper. Munir expressed "confidence in continued collaboration to address shared security challenges” at the event, according to the statement.
Munir’s visit comes less than two months after he was hosted to a private lunch at the White House by President Donald Trump. As the leader of the military, Munir is widely seen as the most powerful person in Pakistan, wielding the final word on critical matters from foreign policy to internal politics and the economy.
Relations between the US and Pakistan have been improving after tensions in recent decades. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised Trump for brokering a ceasefire with India after a brief conflict in May, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to acknowledge the US leader’s role.
Trump slapped lower tariffs on Pakistani imports compared with others in the region such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. - Bloomberg
