Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has emphasized the need to strengthen trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia and the United States during his ongoing visit to Washington. His meetings focused on economic stability, attracting foreign investment, and advancing Pakistan’s fiscal and structural reforms.
During his visit, Aurangzeb met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Saudi Finance Minister Muhammad Abdullah Al-Jadaan, and senior executives from global institutions, including the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Standard Chartered Bank, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Aurangzeb’s Meeting With IMF Chief
In his discussion with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Aurangzeb reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the IMF program. He welcomed the recent staff-level agreement and briefed her on fiscal measures, energy sector reforms, and improvements in Pakistan’s credit outlook. The finance minister stressed that Pakistan remains focused on maintaining reform momentum and invited international investors to explore opportunities in the minerals, digital, agriculture, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Strengthening Ties With Saudi Arabia
During his meeting with Saudi Finance Minister Al-Jadaan, Aurangzeb discussed ways to enhance bilateral investment and economic cooperation. He highlighted progress on the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and airport infrastructure projects, inviting Saudi investors to participate. Both sides agreed on expanding collaboration through global institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and MIGA to support private-sector growth.
Talks With US and Global Financial Institutions
Aurangzeb also met US DFC CEO Benjamin Black to explore investment in energy, minerals, agriculture, IT, and pharmaceuticals. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment for foreign investors. Meetings with Standard Chartered Bank included discussions on issuing Panda Bonds, Eurobonds, and Sukuk, as well as improving trade financing facilities.
He also held talks with MIGA Executive Vice President Hiroshi Matano and Azerbaijan’s Deputy Finance Minister Anar Karimov, focusing on trade finance and the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Preferential Trade and Transit Agreement.
In other related news also read Pakistan And Saudi Arabia Agree To Strengthen Trade And Investment
Aurangzeb reiterated that Pakistan’s top priority is to stabilize its economy, attract investment, and strengthen global partnerships. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, green growth, and sustainable reforms aimed at long-term development.
