KARACHI: US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ervin Massinga, while talking to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) members here today, maintained that good governance, long-term capacity building, and market-based policies were the keys to a thriving private sector and sustained economic growth.
Massinga praised Pakistan for implementing reforms that would strengthen its long-term economic fundamentals. According to him such reforms were necessary for Pakistan to boost growth, attract private capital, and expand exports.
Deputy Assistant Secretary urged business leaders to work with the government to undertake additional reforms to improve the ease of doing business and comply with international standards for anti-money laundering and countering terror finance.
Participants discussed opportunities for enhanced trade and collaboration between US and Pakistan. Bilateral trade reached an all-time high of $6.6 billion in 2018. It is pertinent to mention here that US is Pakistan’s top destination for exports, buying $3.7 billion of Pakistani products last year. Massinga highlighted several areas of opportunity for Pakistan’s manufacturers.
He noted that under the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), Pakistani companies can export eligible items duty-free, including many manufactured items and agricultural products, a fact underlined by the significant growth of exports in these areas over the last five years.
A relevant piece published earlier:
CG Silberstein highlights Pak-US partnership in Sindh
KARACHI: Consul General Robert Silberstein has reiterated that US was excited about finding new ways of partnering with Sindh for its greater economic growth.
He was speaking about a trip to Southern Sindh taken (from 3rd till 6th day of Dec.) by diplomatic mission’s team in order to advance the US relationship with the people of Pakistan.
“I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality and richness of Sindh’s culture. The United States is already engaging with Sindh in so many areas, especially healthcare and education, and we are excited about finding new ways of partnering for greater economic growth,” Consul General said.
In Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, and Mithi, the Consul General met business, political and civil society leaders to discuss a wide range of issues, including bilateral trade, education, bonded labor, and Press freedom.
In Islamakot, the Consulate team visited a health clinic, one of three facilities in District Tharparkar, that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) helped to renovate.
The Consul General also met the students in NED University of Engineering and Technology’s inaugural class and with high school students in Mithi and encouraged all of them to take advantage of the educational exchange opportunities available in the United States. (This year, over 7,900 Pakistani students are studying in the United States, a record high.)
Consul General Silberstein paid respects at the Shiv Mandir Temple in Umerkot (one of Pakistan’s oldest Hindu temples), where he also met Hindu leaders and representatives of the scheduled caste Hindu communities in the area.
In Tharparkur District, Consul General Silberstein visited the Thar Block II coal fields and power plant operated by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company. He discussed ways to increase engagement from US-based companies to develop energy resources and power generation capacity.
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PS: USAID has also funded the renovation of ten facilities in Umerkot and Mirpurkhas, and upgraded 45 health facilities in Tharparkar to Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) Centers, which provide high quality services while training more than 100 care providers.
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US CG Robert Silberstein pays tribute to Quaid-e-Azam (VIDEO AND TEXT)
KARACHI: US Consul General here Robert Silberstein, visited the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam (The Greatest Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah today and paid his respects to the founder of Pakistan.
He laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and signed the guestbook on behalf of the people of the United States.
Consul General noted “It is an honor for me to be here at this beautiful Mausoleum to pay my respects to the Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This visit has offered me the opportunity to reflect upon his democratic vision of a unified Pakistan that respects diversity, religious harmony and pluralism, values that we in the United States also hold very dear. These values are a true testament to Mr. Jinnah’s greatness.”
Robert Silberstein later visited the tombs of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first Prime Minister and Quaid’s sister Madr-e-Millat (Mother of the Nation) Fatima Jinnah.
He later visited the adjoining museum and greatly appreciated the artifacts related to the life of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
ROBERT SILBERSTEIN ASSUMES CHARGE AS US CG IN KARACHI FROM 1ST AUGUST!
KARACHI: Robert Silberstein has assumed the charge of the US diplomatic post here on 1st of August (2019) as the Consul General.
A career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, he most recently served in Washington, DC with the Office of the Inspector General, helping to improve the operations of the State Department and its overseas missions. Prior to that, Consul General Silberstein was a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute, where he developed a training and education curriculum for the Department’s foreign and civil service officers.
Consul General Silberstein also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy to Lithuania, Office Director for Nordic-Baltic Affairs, and Deputy Director in the Office of South Central Europe. Other assignments include service in the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia, and the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, India.
The Consul General has a Masters in National Security Strategy from the College of International Security Affairs of the National Defense University. He also has a Masters in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Consul General Silberstein was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised on Manhattan’s West Side. Among his favorite pursuits are sports, hiking with his two dogs, and cooking. He is fiercely proud of his two boys who are attending university in the state of Virginia.
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