Recently, Pakistan Mission in the United States hosted the annual BBQ Reception and Mango Festival at the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC. Many foreign diplomats, senior US officials, US lawmakers, the think tank community, and notable Pakistani- Americans attended the festival with traditional zeal and zest. The Speakers highlighted the importance of Pakistan-US engagement and stressed the need for enhanced trade and economic ties between the two friendly counties which would further reenergize and consolidate their partnership and alliance.
Diplomacy is the foremost art of resolving interstate disputes, removing constitutional and legal glitches, and settling down trade and economic ties between the parties without indulging in unceasing interstate rivalries, arbitration, and court tribunals at the global level. Diplomacy is the main driver of foreign policy that steers the broader goals of the states by adopting different strategies, tools, and mechanisms to achieve national objectives through peaceful means. As of today, Washington DC is one of the major hubs of global diplomacy among the other global capitals in Asia, Europe, and North America, where world nations pursue their diplomatic agenda by advertising their national brands, food staples, cuisines, along with the celebration of important religious and national events to engage with the US government, private businesses, trade associations, and wider diplomatic community from across the world. Pakistan’s mango diplomacy is very popular and proved to be an effective tool for engaging other nations and bringing them to the negotiating tables for strategic dialogues, and trade and monetary deals with other countries and institutions. Historically, the delectable taste of Pakistani foods and delicious mangoes have always touched the souls of foreign guests and filled their minds and hearts with joy, love, and attraction for Pakistanis and their country.
Over the past years, Pak-US relations had experienced a record low after the unilateral US withdrawal from Afghanistan, owing to the fact that Pakistan has played an admirable role in the conclusion of the historic Doha accord and onward evacuation of US troops, foreign diplomats, and Western citizens from war-hit Afghanistan. However, the South Asian nation refused to provide military basing for the US troops and partnering in the proposed over the horizon Counter Terrorism campaign in neighboring Afghanistan. The ongoing US-China rivalry along with Pakistan’s political, economic, and security crises, badly marred the Pak-US relationship over the past years. Interestingly, amid heightened distrust and uncertainty, the spiel of cipher conspiracy further tore apart the bilateral relations between the long-time friends.
Historically, Pakistan and the United States had enjoyed long-standing economic relations and security partnership since the beginning of their formal bilateral ties in the late 40s. Both nations witnessed periodic ups and downs and their bilateral ties went through several phases of impressive cooperation and severe diplomatic break-ups throughout history. Despite a flimsy economic and security partnership, both countries had been cooperating with each other in Counter Terrorism and supported each other viewpoints at the multilateral forums where their national interests coincide. Pakistan is an important Muslim state that holds unimaginable importance for the United States due to its geostrategic location, military power, nuclear arsenal, association with Beijing, and unique position in the Muslim world. The same goes for Pakistan which could not afford US’s animosity and intends to maintain its longstanding security and economic partnership with Washington.
The current scenario presents an unequivocal potential for bilateral cooperation between Washington and Islamabad in multiple domains including bilateral trade and investment, education, science and technology, climate change, security, counter-terrorism, and regional and global political affairs that suit both nations but obviously lead to a greater consensus and align their strategic interests in the future. Global politics and diplomacy evolve all the time, whereas friendship, partnerships, alliances, and blocs are not fixed, they appear and diminish with the evolving priorities of the national states. In fact, there is an utmost desire on both sides for repairing fractured ties and renewing the historic relationship between Pakistan and the United States but contemporary issues overwhelmed this quest for a reunion. Currently, Ambassador Khan set the stage for greater cooperation between longtime friends and former strategic allies by arranging a BBQ and mango party that would surely sweeten the hearts and minds of our American friends. Hopefully, such endeavors will reap fruit, and Pak-US ties will grow at a faster pace in the future.
