Pakistan Air Force chief is in US weeks after Asim Munir's visit. What's on his agenda?
A few weeks after Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the US and met with President Donald Trump, Pakistan Air Force chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu is in the country for a series of high-level engagements with top military and political leadership, and discussed a wide range of issues with them.
This is the first time in over a decade that a Pakistani Air Force chief is visiting the US. The visit of Air Marshal Sidhu is aimed at boosting the defence cooperation between the two nations and advancing mutual interest, according to Pakistan's Director General Public Relations, which called the visit a "strategic milestone."
The Pakistan Air Force chief met with US Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David W. Allvin and Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Kelli L. Seybol in the Pentagon and discussed ways to advance bilateral military ties, enhance interoperability, and explore areas for training and technology exchange.
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According to DGPR, the Air chief reaffirmed the resolve of Pakistan to further strengthen military-to-military cooperation between the US and Pakistan and agreed to continue high-level defence engagements in the future.
He also met with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Stanley L. Brown, Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Eric Meyer, and some senior members of the US Congress.
The meetings with the military and political leadership offered the Pakistan Air Force chief an opportunity to share his country's views on strategic challenges, regional security framework and the impact of emerging technologies on defence cooperation, DGPR said.
Defence