Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said a trade deal with the U.S. is “very close” after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, but officials in Washington did not offer a timeline.
“I think we are very close to finalizing a deal with the U.S.,” Dar said at the Atlantic Council think tank on Friday. “Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now.”
“It’s not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say [just] days,” he added.
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The Trump administration has attempted to renegotiate trade agreements with many countries after announcing tariffs against dozens within the past few months.
The State Department and Pakistan’s foreign ministry, in separate statements after Rubio’s meeting with Dar, said the two leaders talked about the importance of expanding trade and ties in critical minerals and mining.
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A timeline for finalizing a trade deal was not mentioned in Rubio’s social media post or by the State Department.
The Pakistani foreign ministry also said Dar “appreciated the pivotal role” of President Donald Trump and Rubio “in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire.”
The statement from the State Department did not mention the conflict with India.
Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan that he announced on social media on May 10 after U.S. officials held talks with both countries.
Trump’s claims that the ceasefire was sparked by his intervention and trade threats have been disputed by India, who added that problems with Pakistan must be resolved without outside involvement.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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