Alice G. Wells calls on Adviser on Finance

US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Alice G. Wells called on Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Dr. Miftah Ismail here Monday.

They discussed current state of Pak-US ties with particular emphasis on economic cooperation.

Adviser Miftah Ismail welcomed Ms. Wells and said that such bilateral visits are helpful in understanding each other’s point of view.  He said relations between the two countries have been affected by certain recent developments and it was important to remove the misperceptions.

Adviser Finance welcomed the planned visits of US business delegations on the occasion and said that people to people contacts are an important part of a bilateral relationship.  He expressed his support for business community's efforts aimed at furthering Pak-US economic ties.  He said that Pakistan has made visible headway in overcoming energy shortages which has given a boost to the country’s productive sectors. This in turn is having a positive impact on overall economic activities and GDP is growing steadily.

Alice G. Wells felicitated Miftah Ismail on assuming his new responsibilities and wished him well in his tenure. She said that Pak -US relationship is important and the US would like to carry it forward. She lauded the reforms that Pakistan has undertaken in different economic spheres and expressed US support for similar reform efforts in future.

US Ambassador, David Hale, Secretary Finance Arif Ahmed Khan and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance were present on the occasion