The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) held a Seminar in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Studies, COMSATS, Islamabad titled, “US Foreign Policy and Trump Presidency: A Review and Outlook,” on March 27, 2017. The Chief Guest at the Seminar was Ambassador Inam-ul-Haq, former Foreign Minister. Other dignitaries at the event included Ambassador Fouzia Nasreen, Director Centre for Policy Studies, COMSATS; Mr Zahid Hussain, Dawn News; Dr Talat Farooq, Senior Research Fellow ISSI; Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi; Dr Imran Syed, Centre for Policy Studies COMSATS; Ambassador Saeed Khalid; and Ms Shamsa Nawaz, Research Fellow ISSI.
The Chairman ISSI, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, welcomed the distinguished speakers and thanked the esteemed guests for participating in the event. He started off by stating that the ISSI has held numerous events regarding the elections in the US and President Trump in particular. The whole world feels the impact of the election of the new US president, especially in the US where the whole society has been divided on religious and ethnic lines and xenophobia is on the rise. The policy steps taken by the new administration in the initial days have not been reassuring as the policy formulation has not been clear from the White House. There has been emphasis on protectionist trade policies, as well as pressure on its allies in the NATO and Asia to pull their own weight. While investigations are taking place regarding the Russian involvement in the electoral process, an aggressive stance has been taken against China regarding trade and the South China Sea issue, and steps are being taken to renegotiate the Iranian nuclear deal. He concluded by stating that the Institute has organised this event to look at and discuss the various facets of the emerging trends of the new administration in the US.
