Trump hosts Pakistani army chief at the White House

 

 Trump hosts Pakistani army chief at the White House


 U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday in an unprecedented meeting .

The lunch meeting was the first time a U.S. president had hosted the head of Pakistan's army, widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country, at the White House unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials.

Trump said he was honoured to meet Munir and that they had discussed Iran, which he said Pakistan knew better than most. Trump told reporters he had thanked Munir for ending the war with India, for which he also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he spoke to on Tuesday night.

"Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war," Trump told reporters.

Pakistan's military said in a statement that the two discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency during the two-hour meeting and also exchanged views on tensions between Israel and Iran.
"President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests," the army said.

The meeting represented a major boost in U.S.-Pakistan ties, which had largely languished under Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden, as both courted India as part of efforts to push back against China.