America's new envoy to Pak Donald Blome takes office

Islamabad: America's new Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome has said that he was thrilled to be in Islamabad and pledged to build on the existing strong ties between the two countries.

He began his assignment on Monday at the United States Embassy here, the US mission said in a statement.

I am thrilled to be in Pakistan. I look forward to exploring this beautiful country and acquainting myself with its people and its culture, Blome was quoted as saying by the embassy on his arrival to take up the new responsibility.

Most importantly, in this 75th year of US-Pakistan relations, I will continue to build on the strong relationship between our countries, he said.

He will lead the US mission in Pakistan in its ongoing efforts to deepen connections between the Pakistani and American people and work with the government of Pakistan towards a more



stable, secure and prosperous future for Pakistan.

Ambassador Blome brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this shared effort and to the US mission in Pakistan, the embassy said.

He started his day in the office in the backdrop of former prime minister Imran Khan telling CNN in an interview that the US should sack its Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu for "sheer arrogance and bad manners".

Lu is the central figure in Khan's claims about a US-backed regime change conspiracy that toppled his government through a no-confidence motion last month.

Ambassador Blome's immediate task would be to ease the strained ties and rebuild the bilateral relations which had been under stress for the last many years due to the mistrust over the issue of terrorism and the Afghan Taliban.