US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday in Washington.
During the meeting, the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on enhancing bilateral relations, trade cooperation, and regional security.
They also discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and deepen collaboration in the critical minerals and mining sectors.
Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s “continued willingness to play a constructive role in mediating conversations with Iran and its commitment to preserving regional stability,” according to US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector. I also thanked him for Pakistan’s partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional… pic.twitter.com/QZB9RZwIA8
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 25, 2025
“The two also discussed prospects for deepening bilateral counterterrorism cooperation, including countering ISIS-K, and the upcoming US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad this August,” the readout by the US State Department stated.
Rubio also highlighted the significance of “expanding mutually beneficial bilateral trade and exploring prospects for enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals and mining sectors.”
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Dar is on an eight-day visit to the US, according to Arab News, during which he chaired several meetings of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as part of Pakistan’s rotating presidency this month.
The meeting between Rubio and Dar comes just days after the US announced that it would designate The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
TRF had claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, where the terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
