Pak Army chief discusses cooperation in regional security matters with commander of the US Central Command

Washington/Islamabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir has called on Gen Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the US Central Command (Centcom), and discussed with him cooperation in regional security matters and avenues of joint training.

The Pakistan Army chief arrived in Washington last week on his first official visit to the US.

During the trip, Munir also met key government officials including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence (retired) General Llyod J. Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q Brown.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday, the media wing of the military, General Munir met the Centcom chief during a visit to Headquarters Central Command at Tampa Bay, Florida.

“During the meeting, matters of shared interests, particularly cooperation in regional security matters came under discussion,” it said.

“Both sides discussed avenues of joint training and reiterated the need for enhancing training interactions between Centcom and the Pakistan Army,” the ISPR said, adding that the COAS also visited Centcom Joint Operations Center during the visit.

The Army chief also held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday during which he reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance on Palestine.

He had also urged the UN Security Council to mobilise the international community for an immediate halt to hostilities in Gaza, preventing a humanitarian tragedy.

Gen Munir also interacted with the Pakistani diaspora and urged them to invest in their homeland.