Washington: Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency during their meeting at the White House on Wednesday, the Pakistan army said. President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests, the army said in a statement on Thursday. Munir and Trump also exchanged views on prevailing tensions between Israel and Iran, the statement added.

According to TRTworld.com, the meeting took place in the Cabinet Room and was closed to the press. President Trump stated, “I invited him to thank him for helping stop a war. We also discussed a potential trade deal with Pakistan and regional issues – including the Iran situation.” Speaking to reporters ahead of the lunch, Trump reiterated his claim that he helped prevent a conflict between the South Asian rivals, emphasizing the nuclear capabilities of both nations. “They were going at it, and both are nuclear countries. I stopped a war between two major nations,” he said.

Trump credited both General Munir and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with de-escalating the situation. “This man [Munir] was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side, and PM Modi from the Indian side,” Trump remarked. He further expressed his admiration for both countries, saying, “I love Pakistan. Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night, and we’ll make a trade deal with Modi of India.”

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly later commented that part of the meeting’s purpose was General Munir’s recent public remarks. Munir had called for a Nobel Prize to be awarded to Trump for his role in preventing what Munir described as a nuclear war between India and Pakistan last month.