ISLAMABAD – US President Joe Biden has invited Prime Minister Imran Khan toa virtual summit for democracy being held in Washington in December.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Asim Iftikhar confirmed thatPakistan had received the invitation from the US State Department.
The invitation has been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office for afinal decision. If the Pakistani premier agrees to attend the event, itwould be the first ever virtual interaction between him and Biden.
The virtual summit is scheduled to take place in the US capital on December9-10, 2021. The US has invited around 110 countries to the event.
The summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democraciesand will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual andcollective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy andhuman rights at home and abroad.
For the United States, the summit will offer an opportunity to listen,learn, and engage with a diverse range of actors whose support andcommitment is critical for global democratic renewal.
Read Top Stories
An official statement from the US says the summit would also showcase oneof democracy’s unique strengths: the ability to acknowledge itsimperfections and confront them openly and transparently, so that we may,as the United States Constitution puts it, “form a more perfect union.”
“In advance of the first summit, we are consulting with experts fromgovernment, multilateral organizations, philanthropies, civil society, andthe private sector to solicit bold, practicable ideas around three keythemes of ,Defending against authoritarianism,Addressing and fightingcorruption and Promoting respect for human rights, the state departmentstatement said.
The official US statement said leaders will be encouraged to announcespecific actions and commitments to meaningful internal reforms andinternational initiatives that advance the Summit’s goals.
These pledges will include domestic and international initiatives thatcounter authoritarianism, combat corruption and promote respect for humanrights.
