Pakistan confers award on CENTCOM chief for promoting Islamabad-Washington military ties
Kurilla arrived in Pakistan to attend a rare regional defense conference on Saturday in which officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan also took part.
Zardari conferred the award on General Kurilla during a formal investiture ceremony in Islamabad on Saturday, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, acknowledging his 'outstanding contributions' to regional security and his dedicated efforts in strengthening strategic defense ties between the two countries.
'The award has been given in recognition of his exemplary service and pivotal role in advancing enduring military cooperation between Pakistan and the US,' Radio Pakistan said.
The state media credited Kurilla's leadership for fostering mutual understanding, enhancing defense collaboration and deepening counterterrorism cooperation between Pakistan's armed forces and CENTCOM.
Radio Pakistan said during his visit, Kurilla held detailed meetings with senior Pakistani civil and military leadership,which included Zardari and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
'Discussions encompassed regional security, military-to-military engagement, and joint efforts to combat terrorism and emerging transnational threats,' the statement said.
Pakistan has recently sought a diplomatic reset with Washington after years of estrangement between the two countries, particularly during the Afghan war, where diverging perspectives deepened mistrust.
High-level bilateral exchanges gradually faded as the US withdrew from Afghanistan. However, Islamabad has undertaken efforts in recent months to grow closer to the US administration, with Pakistan even nominating President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi on May 10.
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