Bilawal Bhutto on maiden US visit as FM for global food security meeting

• Bilawal Bhutto is visiting USA at invitation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 
• He will also participate in open discussion of United Nations (UN) security council meeting.
• Foreign Minister will also attend ministerial meeting on 'Global Food Security Call to Action.' 

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reached New York Wednesday on a maiden three-day official visit to the US since holding office to attend a global food security meeting.

FM Bilawal is visiting the USA at the invitation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend the ministerial meeting on 'Global Food Security Call to Action' to be held at the United Nations today (Wednesday).

According to the FO, Bilawal will have other important engagements as well on the sidelines, including a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which is scheduled for today.

Bilawal reached New York on a commercial flight and was received by Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Masood Khan.

To welcome Bilawal to New York, Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Aamir Khan, NY Consul-General Ayesha Ali and other officers from the permanent mission of Pakistan to the UN and Embassy were also present.

The FM will participate in an open discussion at a UN Security Council meeting. Additionally, he is also likely to meet the UN secretary-general and the president of the UNSC.

The meetings in New York are expected to go a long way towards resetting ties with the US. The ties suffered lows during the Imran Khan government. The invitation to attend the New York meetings was extended when Blinken telephoned Bilawal to congratulate him on taking office.

The New York meetings will bring together a regionally diverse group of countries, including those most affected by food insecurity and those in a position to take action to address it, it was earlier reported. Ministers will be invited to speak on humanitarian needs and longer-term development efforts required to save lives and build resilience for the future.

Bilawal will highlight Pakistan's perspective and policy priorities in the two meetings. 

"Pakistan will continue to play a proactive role in supporting international efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable world - free of conflict, poverty and hunger," said the Foreign Office.

US promises Pakistan of strong economic support: report

Additionally, a US State Department spokesperson promised Pakistan of strong US support for its efforts to restore the Pakistani economy shortly after FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in New York for a series of meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Daily Dawn reported on Wednesday.

The White House told the publication in Washington that the US will continue to engage bilaterally on ways to expand investment and trade opportunities to establish a successful and stable Pakistan.

The US also welcomes the ongoing IMF negotiations with Pakistan, it stated.