WASHINGTON, JUL 21 (DNA) — More than 200 distinguished guests attended the annual barbecue reception and the Mango Festival at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC. Senator Irfan Siddiqui from Pakistan and the Chairman House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Michael McCaul, from United States were the guests of honour at the event, which was hosted by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Masood Khan.
Among the participants were the Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Dilawar Syed, State Representative in Connecticut State House, Maryam Khan, ambassadors, diplomats, Congressional staff, members of the think-tank community, media and diaspora community leaders, according to a press release of the Pakistani embassy here.
Senator Hidayatullah and Member National Assembly of Pakistan Ms. Shakeela Khalid Luqman also attended the reception. Senator Irfan Siddiqui addressed the gathering in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, highlighting the attributes of mango, the king of fruits.
He congratulated Ambassador Khan on the ‘Mango diplomacy’ which, he said, could contribute in bringing the two countries closer to each other. In his remarks, Congressman MaCaul thanked the ambassador for the invitation to the event which, he said, provided him an opportunity to enjoy the taste of Pakistani food and delicious mangoes.
Referring to Texas’ close ties with Pakistan, Congressman McCaul said that they wanted to continue the tradition. The United States, he said, has important security arrangements with Pakistan. but through trade and economic investments in Pakistan, the two countries would become closer partners.
Welcoming the guests, Ambassador Masood Khan spoke of the unique taste and wide varieties of Pakistani mangoes. Pakistan, he said, was the world’s fourth largest producer of quality mangoes, with Chaunsa, Sindhri, Anwar Ratol, Langra, and Dussheri among the most popular ones.
The Ambassador said that as part of trade negotiations under Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Pakistan had asked the United States to arrange a pre-inspection facility at the Karachi Port enabling the country to export mangoes to various parts of the United States in bigger quantities.
He said that Dilawar Syed, the Deputy Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), was involved in the process and expressed the hope that the process would be expedited by the concerned US authorities. Congressman McCaul and other US dignitaries also visited various stalls that showcased different products made with Pakistani mangoes. — DNA
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