Rawalpindi, August 10, 2025: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has held a series of high-level engagements with senior political and military leaders during his ongoing official visit to the United States, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
According to the military’s media wing, the COAS also met members of the Pakistani diaspora and attended key events in Tampa, Florida, including the retirement ceremony of outgoing United States Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla and the Change of Command ceremony welcoming Admiral Brad Cooper as his successor.
“COAS lauded General Kurilla’s exemplary leadership and invaluable contributions towards strengthening bilateral military cooperation. He extended best wishes to Admiral Cooper and expressed confidence in continued collaboration to address shared security challenges,” the ISPR statement noted.
During the visit, Field Marshal Munir also met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, to discuss matters of mutual professional interest, and extended an invitation for him to visit Pakistan. On the sidelines, the COAS interacted with defence chiefs from friendly nations.
In an interactive session with the Pakistani diaspora, the army chief urged expatriates to remain confident in Pakistan’s bright future and to actively contribute towards attracting foreign investment. The diaspora, in turn, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s progress and development.
This is Field Marshal Munir’s second official trip to the US in recent months. In June, he met President Donald Trump over a luncheon that lasted more than two hours. Discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, economic development, energy, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
Following that visit, Pakistan and the United States concluded a long-awaited trade agreement. President Trump later confirmed on social media that both countries would “work together on developing their massive oil reserves” and were in the process of selecting the lead oil company for the partnership.
In July, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on General Kurilla in recognition of his services for regional peace and efforts to bolster Pakistan-US defence ties. During his Pakistan visit, General Kurilla met President Zardari and COAS Munir for detailed discussions on regional security, military-to-military engagement, and joint counter-terrorism efforts against emerging transnational threats.
