Donald Trump, the President of the United States, met with Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (local time). It wasn’t clear right away what the two leaders talked about.
According to the Associated Press, the Pakistani group, which included General Syed Asim Munir, the country’s Chief of Army Staff, arrived at the White House just before 5:00 p.m. and left about 6:18 p.m. There were no reporters during the meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and President Trump.
The situation of US-Pakistan relations getting better
The meeting is the most recent sign that the US and Pakistan’s relationship is becoming better. This diplomatic work comes after the two countries announced a trade deal in July.
When President Trump announced the trade deal, he said that the U.S. will work with Pakistan to exploit its oil reserves.
The leaders had already met this week before the visit to the White House. After talking with leaders from eight Islamic-Arab countries, including Pakistan, on September 23, Prime Minister Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held a casual conversation with President Trump.
When and why India and the US are worried about trade
The meeting between Trump and Sharif is especially important because it comes at a time when the US and India are trying to iron out complicated trade problems.
The U.S. has put a 50% tax on India, and half of it is said to be a punishment for India’s continuous purchase of oil from Russia. The Trump administration says that India’s imports of Russian oil are helping to pay for the war in Ukraine. India, on the other hand, has always stood by its position, saying that market forces alone determine its oil imports.
Even if there are still worries about tariffs, President Trump has been nicer to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lately. Last week, he said he hoped that trade problems with India will be overcome. US officials have said the same thing, saying that trade talks between the two countries are back on track.