Donald Blome highlighted U.S. economic and development assistance

Peshawar- On August 3 and 4, U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to highlight the U.S. government’s extensive economic and development assistance, which has benefited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa residents over the past 75 years of bilateral relations.

Ambassador Blome met with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan during his trip and emphasized the United States’ desire to continue cooperation on economic development, commerce, educational partnerships, and investment, which have benefited the region and its inhabitants.

Ambassador Blome visited the Torkham border crossing to observe firsthand the contribution of the border to trade and economic activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This included a tour of the 46-kilometer Peshawar-Torkham Road, an 87-million-dollar U.S. government construction project that has reduced travel and vehicle maintenance costs by half while facilitating daily commuters and traders.

During their time in KP, Ambassador Blome and USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman also presented 36 vehicles to the Department of Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This was as part of U.S. government support for Pakistan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and assist rapid response teams in collecting COVID-19 samples and monitoring cases.

This donation follows a recent announcement in Washington that the United States will donate 16 million pediatric COVID-19 vaccination doses to Pakistan, bringing the total number of U.S. donations to over 77 million.

Ambassador Blome also visited the Peshawar Burns and Plastic Surgery Center, funded by the United States government. The state-of-the-art health facility was constructed and outfitted with USAID funding of $15 million. Since its opening in 2019, the Center has treated more than 5,000 patients, making it the largest of its kind in Pakistan.

Ambassador Blome stated while he toured the state-of-the-art U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy at the University of Engineering and Technology in Peshawar.

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“It is an honor to be here today to see the Center and learn more about the outstanding work you are doing here, he said.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United States and Pakistan’s diplomatic ties, and this facility symbolizes our shared vision and enormous achievements.

Under USAID’s $127 million partnership, the U.S. government collaborated with engineering universities across Pakistan to establish such centers for advanced learning in water, energy, and food security.

Lori Antolinez, the U.S. Embassy’s Director of International Narcotics and Law, participated in the opening ceremony of the U.S.-funded KP Prosecution Academy during Ambassador Blome’s visit.

Director Antolinez emphasized in her remarks that the $2 million academy will annually train 200 prosecutors.

Since 1989, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement of the State Department has provided $300 million to KP to promote economic and agricultural development, strengthen the justice system, and help promote security and stability.

This included the construction of 1,240 kilometers of roads in KP to assist farmers and businesses in transporting their goods to market, completing 1,300 projects to provide drinking water and irrigation, and constructing 420 law enforcement facilities, including local police stations.