The State Department’s Holst credited the outgoing ambassador with achieving stability and strengthening U.S.-Pakistan relations.
Washington:
US Principal Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Elizabeth Horst on Friday praised Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Masood Khan for significantly strengthening ties between Islamabad and Washington.
“On behalf of the State Department, I want to note that U.S.-Pakistan relations are in the best state they’ve been in years, thanks in part and in large part to the work that Ambassador Masood Khan has done on Pakistan’s behalf to build bridges between Islamabad and Washington,” Holst said at a farewell dinner honoring Khan.
Officials from the State Department and Department of Defense attended the event to praise the ambassador’s contributions, and Holst emphasized that the framework Khan established has fostered open dialogue and cooperation, despite occasional friction.
Khan, who has served as Pakistan’s top envoy in the United States since February 2022, is due to step down from his post next week.
He was appointed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in November 2021. Following his retirement, the deputy prime minister will temporarily take over as special envoy and Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh will be appointed as the new special envoy.
Holst credited Khan with stabilizing and expanding U.S.-Pakistan relations, noting new dialogue and cooperation in areas such as trade, health, energy and climate. He also noted Khan’s efforts to host government officials and foster strong bilateral ties, praising his honesty, creativity and hospitality.
“You’ve used your dining room table as a place to serve delicious lunches to everyone in the U.S. government and on Capitol Hill.”
“You’ve been incredibly effective, and because of your efforts we now have this relationship,” Holst added.
Holst concluded by emphasizing that Khan will make the U.S.-Pakistan relationship stronger than ever before, saying, “We will all benefit from the two years that Khan will spend here. I want to thank him personally and on behalf of the State Department.”
