• Visit comes in aftermath of hostilities between Pakistan and India in May

KARACHI, Pakistan

The Pakistani Air Force chief has visited the US after a hiatus of over 10 years, in a significant development aimed at strengthening bilateral defense cooperation and "advancing mutual interests," an official statement said on Wednesday.

Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, during the visit, met his US counterpart, David W. Allvin, and other military and political leaders, said a statement from the Pakistan army's media wing, without divulging when the visit took place.

Sindhu's visit came days after Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir met with US President Donald Trump at the White House late last month.

The two visits took place in the aftermath of one of the worst hostilities between Pakistan and India in May.

Pakistan, using Chinese fighter jets and missiles, said it shot down six Indian aircraft during the four-day conflict. New Delhi rejected the figures but acknowledged that it had lost "some" of its fighter jets.

Sidhu’s visit “marked a strategic milestone in Pakistan-US defense cooperation and proved instrumental in deepening institutional ties in addition to addressing key regional and global security issues," the statement said.

Sidhu also met with several US lawmakers, including Kelli L. Seybolt, secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon; Brown L. Stanley from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and Eric Meyer from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US State Department.

The discussions centered around advancing bilateral military cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and exploring avenues of joint training and technology exchange, said the statement.

"The meetings served as a forum to underscore Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional stability, its firm commitment to counterterrorism efforts, and its nuanced perspective on the evolving geopolitical dynamics of South and Central Asia," the statement further said.