Shehbaz Sharif Set for Crucial Trump Talks

A high-stakes session is anticipated on September 25 between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump, timed with the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The negotiations are being positioned after widespread consultations with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both of which are said to be in favor of the meeting.

Accompanied by Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani side will have Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as among the leading personalities. Major agenda items likely to feature are: the Middle East crisis after the Israel-Qatar clash; the country’s devastating floods; and other urgent regional security and diplomatic matters.

Though Pakistan’s UN mission and Washington embassy have remained tight-lipped regarding the final contours of the meeting, diplomatic sources indicate that this meeting is not symbolic. With Qatar (Doha) and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) acting as supporting actors, the outcome would be consequential to Pakistan’s foreign policy alignments, regional conflict resolution maneuvers, and its post-flood reconstruction drive.

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