WASHINGTON, Thursday, September 25, 2025 (WNP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office, lauding his leadership as a “man of peace” for efforts to resolve conflicts globally and for strengthening bilateral economic ties with Pakistan.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, described President Trump’s “bold, courageous and decisive” leadership as instrumental in facilitating the recent ceasefire between Pakistan and India, which he said helped avert a major catastrophe in South Asia.

Discussions also focused on the Middle East, with Shehbaz praising Trump’s initiative to convene Muslim leaders in New York earlier this week to deliberate on ways to restore peace in Gaza and the West Bank. He said Pakistan strongly supported efforts for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian relief in the region.

Shehbaz also thanked the U.S. administration for concluding a new tariff arrangement with Pakistan earlier this year and invited American companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, information technology, mining, minerals and energy sectors. He expressed confidence that under President Trump’s leadership, Pakistan-U.S. relations would be further strengthened.

The two leaders also reviewed regional security and counter-terrorism cooperation. The Prime Minister welcomed Trump’s public endorsement of Pakistan’s role in combating terrorism and called for deeper cooperation in intelligence and security.

Shehbaz extended a formal invitation to President Trump to visit Pakistan, saying such a visit would further consolidate the partnership.

Ahead of the Oval Office meeting, Trump praised Shehbaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir during a media interaction, calling them “great leaders” and acknowledging Pakistan’s regional role.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who is in the United States to attend the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, traveled to Washington for the high-profile engagement before returning to New York to address the UNGA on Friday. He was accorded a red-carpet reception on arrival at Andrews Air Base.

The Oval Office talks followed an informal interaction earlier this week at the Arab-Islamic Summit in New York, jointly hosted by President Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. That meeting was described as marked by a “warm handshake and candid conversation.”

Earlier this year, the Government of Pakistan formally recommended President Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his diplomatic intervention during the India-Pakistan crisis.

The meeting also comes shortly after a high-level U.S. business delegation visited Pakistan, resulting in the signing of two MoUs on developing and processing critical minerals, including rare earth elements.