(Archived Content)
Today, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Mr. Paul H. O'Neill, Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury, established the Pakistan-U.S. Joint Economic Forum (the Forum) to facilitate more regular consultations on economic and financial issues of shared interest to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and the Department of the Treasury.
The establishment of the Forum is a reflection of a mutual desire to reinforce bilateral economic relations and promote better mutual understanding of economic and financial issues. The Forum will be an important vehicle for the exchange of ideas on important economic and financial policy matters.
In this context, discussions between the Pakistani and U.S. delegations today focused on global and regional economic and financial developments, economic developments in the U.S. and Pakistan, and bilateral economic and financial issues. Participants exchanged views on efforts to increase global economic growth. They also discussed the economic reform program being implemented in Pakistan to support more rapid, broad based and job-creating growth.
The participants agreed that the Forum will help strengthen Pakistan-U.S. cooperation on economic and financial matters. Minister Aziz and Secretary O'Neill noted that the meetings of the Forum will take place once a year, or as circumstances warrant. Meetings will take place at a convenient location and, where possible, in conjunction with other bilateral or multilateral meetings.