Pakistan’s army chief meets senior US general, calls for enhanced bilateral military trainings

In this handout photo, taken and released by Pakistan's Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir (right) gestures for a photo with Commander United States Central Command General Michael Erik Kurilla during his visit to Headquarters Central Command at Tampa Bay, Florida on December 18, 2023. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)

• General Munir is on his first visit to the US since becoming the army chief and has met Antony Blinken, Llyod Austin
• The State Department calls Pakistan ‘major non-NATO ally,’ saying the US wants to partner with it on security issues

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir held a meeting with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Chief General Michael Erik Kurilla, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday, and emphasized the need to increase joint military trainings between the two countries.
General Munir arrived in Washington last Tuesday on his first official visit to the United States since he became Pakistan’s army chief in November 2022. During his ongoing visit, he has met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Llyod J. Austin along with several other high-profile American security officials.
Pakistan’s army chiefs have frequently visited the US in their tenures as Islamabad and Washington remained strong Cold War allies and have jointly worked on a wide spectrum of issues ranging from regional stability to fighting militancy, particularly during the war in Afghanistan.
The army chief met the US general at the CENTCOM headquarters at Tampa Bay in Florida.
“During the meeting, matters of shared interests, particularly cooperation in regional security matters came under discussion,” the army’s media wing, ISPR, said in the statement issued after the meeting. “Both sides discussed avenues of joint training and reiterated the need for enhancing training interactions between CENTCOM and Pakistan Army.”
The army chief also visited CENTCOM Joint Operations Center during his visit to Florida.
The US State Department also highlighted Pakistan’s significance as an ally, as General Munir continues his visit to the US.
“Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the United States and a NATO partner,” Matthew Miller said in response to a question during a media briefing. “We look forward to partnering with them on regional security and defense cooperation.”