US ambassador hopes Pakistan will comply with IMF and WB agreement

The US ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, expressed optimism that Pakistan would adhere to the terms it had agreed to with various financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the American Business Forum, Blome said that in order to secure the lending programs, the lending agencies had set forth some significant conditions.

He expressed optimism that Pakistan would adhere to the terms of the agreement because it is important for attracting new investments to the country.

He reiterated the significance of Pakistan being able to pay its debts in the face of such turmoil, saying that “such circumstances undermine the investment climate” since investors are unable to enter and make investments in the country without certainty about what the future may hold.

Pakistan and the US are among the largest commercial partners, with $9.9 billion in bilateral trade last year.

Blome further said that I’m looking for practical strategies to hit a $50 billion bilateral trade target. Although it’s not an easy task, we do have some momentum, and I want to maintain that momentum to reach this goal.