Aurangzeb and Paul Kapur discuss Pakistan-US economic cooperation
Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb held a high-level meeting on Thursday with Mr. S. Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, United States, at the Finance Division. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Ms. Natalie A. Baker also accompanied the delegation.
The meeting focused on strengthening Pakistan-US economic cooperation, expanding trade relations, and exploring new investment opportunities amid Pakistan’s ongoing macroeconomic reform agenda.
Discussions on investment and economic reforms
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on enhancing bilateral economic engagement and promoting cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including energy, infrastructure, technology, mining, and digital finance.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing economic stabilization efforts and reiterated the government’s commitment to building a transparent, predictable, and investor-friendly environment.
He emphasized reforms aimed at improving fiscal sustainability, broadening the tax base, accelerating digitization, and promoting financial inclusion as key pillars of Pakistan’s economic recovery strategy.
Pakistan highlights improving economic indicators
The Finance Minister also shared recent positive developments in key macroeconomic indicators, including:
• Increased remittances inflows
• Improved external financing conditions
• Renewed access to international capital markets
He stressed that Pakistan is actively pursuing long-term foreign investment, particularly in high-growth sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure development, technology, and digital financial services.
US side acknowledges reform efforts
Mr. S. Paul Kapur acknowledged Pakistan’s ongoing reform initiatives and underscored the importance of maintaining a stable and competitive business environment to attract foreign investment.
He noted growing interest among American companies in exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to expanding economic engagement.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Ms. Natalie A. Baker also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate a business-friendly environment and encouraged continued engagement between public and private sector stakeholders.
Commitment to stronger bilateral ties
Both sides discussed opportunities for deeper collaboration between Pakistani and U.S. businesses, emphasizing the need for consistency in policy, regulatory predictability, and improved investment facilitation.
The meeting concluded with a mutual reaffirmation of commitment to strengthening Pakistan-US economic cooperation and advancing shared economic and development objectives.