Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh Highlights Strategic Reset in Pakistan-U.S. Relations at Future Security Forum 2025

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, underscored the importance of a strategic reset in Pakistan-U.S. relations during a high-level panel discussion titled “The Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Relationship” at the Future Security Forum 2025 in Washington, D.C.

“Between the two mega countries of today and tomorrow — from both a present and a futuristic perspective — good relations are not a matter of choice or preference; they are indispensable,” the Ambassador said.

Highlighting the depth and continuity of the bilateral partnership, Ambassador Sheikh noted that Pakistan and the United States share a longstanding and consequential relationship, marked by cooperation on critical global challenges including counterterrorism, climate resilience, and economic development.

Organized jointly by Arizona State University, New America, and Security & Defence PLuS, the 11th Annual Future Security Forum brought together senior policymakers, defense strategists, and thought leaders to discuss emerging global security dynamics.

The Ambassador thanked U.S. leadership, particularly President Trump, for facilitating the ceasefire that ended the 88-hour standoff, calling it “a vital act that prevented escalation in a nuclear neighborhood of 1.7 billion people.”

Addressing a wide range of regional and global issues — including climate change, India-Pakistan relations, the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), China-Pakistan relations, the Ukraine conflict, and Afghanistan — Ambassador Sheikh reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomacy, stability, and pragmatic economic policymaking.

He emphasized that climate change is not an abstract concept for Pakistan but an existential crisis, recalling the country’s recurring floods, cloudbursts, and compounding climate disasters that have repeatedly eroded infrastructure and reversed development gains.

“What we build every few years is washed away by floods,” he said, “but we still must pay back what we borrowed to rebuild.”

Ambassador Sheikh stressed that Pakistan’s diplomacy today is deeply intertwined with its climate policy and economic security, arguing that sustainable recovery requires both resilience and international cooperation.

Reiterating Pakistan’s principled stance on IIOJK, he called for international mediation to help the Kashmiri people realize their right to self-determination under UN Security Council resolutions, asserting that peace in South Asia depends on resolving this longstanding dispute.

Rejecting “camp politics,” the Ambassador reaffirmed that Pakistan seeks balanced and constructive relations with all major powers.

“There is no binary choice for us,” he said. “Our relationship with China didn’t start yesterday, and it is not ending tomorrow.”

He emphasized that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) should be viewed through an economic lens, as a project that fosters regional connectivity and prosperity. Recalling Pakistan’s historic role in bridging ties between the United States and China, he expressed readiness for Pakistan to play a similar bridge-building role again in today’s complex geopolitical landscape.

On Afghanistan, Ambassador Sheikh condemned cross-border terrorism and said Pakistan would continue to act firmly against terrorist threats, while reaffirming that diplomacy remains Pakistan’s preferred tool for resolving bilateral disputes.

“Diplomacy is our preference. Pakistan’s history shows we have always stood for diplomatic solutions,” he stressed.

On the Afghan refugee issue, he clarified that Pakistan’s current repatriation efforts target only undocumented or illegal residents, ensuring that their return is dignified and humane. He added that cross-border movement should be visa-based, in line with international norms.

Discussing the Ukraine conflict, Ambassador Sheikh welcomed U.S.-led peace initiatives under President Trump’s leadership, expressing hope that they would yield a durable settlement.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which Ambassador Sheikh thanked the forum organizers and reaffirmed Pakistan’s enduring commitment to global peace, dialogue, and mutual respect in international relations.