Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif with head of US Central Command (Centcom) Chief - Commander Gen Lloyd Austin in Florida. On his maiden visit to US, General Raheel has held a series of high-level meetings with American officials at the CENTCOM headquarters in Florida.
Personally received by General Austin in Tampa, the COAS was also given a military guard of honour.
COAS Pakistan Gen Raheel was conferred with US "Legion of Merit" Medal for brave leadership, sagacity, vision, efforts for peace & stability in region from the US Military | www.facebook.com/iFORCEWarfare | Be.net/Xarctix
Meetings between our military and civilian leadership are very important for the sake of peace in the region. This also shows the importance of keeping the bilateral dialogue going between the two countries. There is no denying that the region is in conflict for decades and the only way out of it is for all parties work together to diminish the threats of extremism, terrorism and transnational crimes. We also know that unless we keep meeting at the highest level and resolve issues pertaining to the region, peace will not be possible and unless we have peace, prosperity will be hard to come by for a common person in the region.
Earlier Pentagon Spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout: "Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Raheel Sharif today at the Pentagon. The leaders discussed regional security issues and their commitment to an enduring partnership. They also emphasized the importance of sustained and substantive dialogue as we continue to develop the bilateral military-to-military relationship.”