Top US and Pakistan diplomats say they want stronger ties

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have met for the first time and both say they want to strengthen ties between the two countries. Bhutto Zardari flew to New York to attend a ministerial meeting at U.N. headquarters later Wednesday that will be chaired by Blinken on growing food insecurity around the world, which has been exacerbated by Russia’s war on Ukraine. The Pakistani minister welcomed the U.S. initiative at the start of Wednesday’s meeting with Blinken and said he looks forward “to increasing engagement between Pakistan and the United States.”