U.S top official visits Gwadar after 15 years
Aftab Ahmed
Amid a visit of the Russian foreign minister to Pakistan after a decade, the first US official has visited Gwadar in 15 years to increase maritime security and commercial ties.
The Pakistani side has already extended an official invitation to Russia to grant access to Gwadar. Since China has increased its presence in the Arabia sea after taking control of Gwadar Port and CPEC, the US has been set up.
https://newztodays.com/china-can-use-pakistans-gwadar-port-for-military-use-us-think-tank/
US-based think tanks have been alleging that China had set up its naval base at Gwadar.US authorities had also pointed that CPEC was a debt trap for Pakistan.
Pakistan and the US had also faced cold relations during the Trump administration especially due to Indian aggression in occupied Kashmir.
Now, after the new administration of Biden in the US, any US official visit to Gwadar for the first time in 15 years was a significant move to bolster relations between the two countries.
It seemed that the US was making efforts to revive the relations with Pakistan under the Biden administration. Moreover, the US also seemed interested that it would encourage US companies to make an investment in special economic zones under CPEC.
Pakistan has also been saying that CPEC was open for any country to make an investment. The latest development following a high-level US official trip to Gwadar would unveil some new development in the future.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia had announced to invest $ 20 billion in Pakistan. Critics were of the view that the US had launched Saudi Arabia in Pakistan to counter China. However, the two countries could not make further development on projects due to cold relations between the two countries.
US embassy in a statement said that Chargé d’affaires Angela Aggeler visited Gwadar on April 8. Ms. Aggeler was the first U.S. official to visit Gwadar in 15 years, and this was her second trip to Balochistan.
Ms. Aggeler highlighted U.S.-Pakistan cooperation on maritime security, increased commercial and economic ties between the United States and Pakistan, and promoting prosperity across the region.
