Donald Lu meets Finance Minister Aurangzeb at World Bank HQ

Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb met US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of State Elizabeth Horst on Wednesday.

The meeting was held at the World Bank headquarters where the finance minister briefed the US officials on Pakistan’s reform agenda. Both delegations agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties in the meeting.

Alternative energy, agriculture, climate and tech industry issues were also discussed in the meeting. The finance minister also stressed upgrading the Pakistan-US economic partnership.

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also discussed investment opportunities in IT, agriculture and other sectors with the US officials.

Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Pakistan will work together with the United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation, and Pakistan will also work with Exim Bank.

Who is Donald Lu?

Lu is a foreign service officer with more than 30 years of US government service.

The American official is at the center of the “cipher” controversy as it is popularly known in Pakistan. It relates to an alleged diplomatic correspondence between Washington and Islamabad that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) founder said was proof his ouster as prime minister (PM) was part of a US conspiracy to remove him.

Washington has repeatedly denied Khan’s accusations.

As the assistant secretary of state for South and central Asia, Donald Lu is the top US diplomat in the State Department focused on the region.