Noted international rating agencies have placed Pakistan at “B-plus positive,” which speaks of the performance of the country's economy, Dr Salman Shah, Advisor to the Prime Minister, on Finance, said. Currently on an official visit to the United States, Shah stated this while referring to his recent meetings with Standard and Poors and Moodys, according to officials. He said rating is important for bond issues. Last time, he said, “we had bonds of $800 million, out of which we had $500 million for ten years and $300 million for 30 years and they went off very well." Shah said he has held meetings with U.S. officials and international lending agencies in Washington. The advisor said Pakistan was a major development partner of the World Bank, and important infrastructure projects are running with its assistance, which include National Trade Corridor. He said discussion has been held on water reservoirs, governance reforms, and capital market reforms, and that these meetings have been very positive. Of his World Bank meetings, Shah said it was not a periodic session. "We were doing a road show in Washington, and taking advantage of it, we held these meetings." He said an upcoming meeting is to be held in Singapore in September, and it is important to remain in constant touch with the South Asian department, because of the nature of Pakistan's programme. Shah said investors' confidence in Pakistan was "positive.” “We have introduced Pakistan for the first time after almost 15 years to international equity investors. He said that he held "a good meeting with new US Treasury Secretary, and we discussed economic relationship between the two countries, and we invited him to Pakistan." It was decided that the next meeting of the Pakistan-U.S. Joint Economic Forum will be held in Islamabad. “In these meetings, a positive atmosphere was witnessed, and it was a good opportunity," he said. "The Secretary is very committed to development of economic development between the two countries." About prospects of Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), Shah said Pakistan and United States have "sorted out most of the issues, and hope, we would hear some thing good."
