ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (Alliance News): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir held high-level engagements with senior political and military leaders during his official visit to the United States, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
In Tampa, the COAS attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla and the Change of Command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper.
He praised General Kurilla’s leadership and contributions to strengthening bilateral military cooperation, and expressed confidence in continued collaboration under Admiral Cooper to address shared security challenges.
During the trip, Field Marshal Munir also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, discussing matters of mutual professional interest, and extended an invitation to visit Pakistan. On the sidelines, he interacted with chiefs of defence from friendly nations.
The army chief also addressed the Pakistani diaspora, urging them to remain confident in Pakistan’s future and contribute to attracting investment. Members of the diaspora reaffirmed their commitment to the country’s progress.
The visit follows an earlier official trip to the US in June, during which Munir met former US President Donald Trump over a luncheon that lasted more than two hours.
Discussions covered expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, economic development, energy, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
A subsequent Pakistan-US trade agreement was confirmed by Trump, who announced plans for joint development of Pakistan’s oil reserves.
In July, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on General Kurilla for his role in promoting regional peace and enhancing Pakistan-US defence cooperation.
