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Schedule

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
6 p.m. Program
6:45 p.m. Audience Q&A

Following Pakistan's independence in 1947, the U.S. established diplomatic relations that have resulted in close ties between the two countries. Since then, Pakistan and the U.S. have worked together on issues ranging from energy, investment, and trade, as well as having played roles in the effort to stabilize Afghanistan and combat global terrorism.

As the world's third-most populous country, the U.S. has become Pakistan’s (the world's fifth-most populous country) largest export market and one of its largest sources of foreign direct investment. 

Asia Society Texas welcomes Masood Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., and Elizabeth Horst, Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for Pakistan, along with moderator Chase Untermeyer, retired U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, as they discuss Pakistan’s economic, trade, and security landscapes, as well as explore the challenges and opportunities of current U.S.–Pakistan relations. 

About the Speakers

Ambassador Masood Khan is currently serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States. He was the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from August 2016 to August 2021. Immediately before becoming the President, he was the Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad; one of the top think tanks in Pakistan. Ambassador Masood Khan had a distinguished diplomatic career serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China from 2008 to 2012; and Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 2012 to 2015, where he served as Vice President of the Economic and Social Council; Vice President of the UN General Assembly; and President of the Executive Board of UNICEF.

Over the years, he has held leadership positions in the international community, including Pakistan’s Chief Negotiator (Sherpa) for the US–led Nuclear Security Summits, from 2009 to 2015. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served as Director General, United Nations; Director General, Nuclear Disarmament; Director General, Organization of Islamic Cooperation; and Director General, East Asia and Pacific. Earlier in his career, he was Director of the Secretary General’s Office and Director, International Conferences.

Elizabeth Horst is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for Pakistan.  She came from U.S. Embassy Berlin, where she was Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy for Mission Germany.  She is a member of the Senior Foreign Service.

Previously, Elizabeth served as SCA’s Director of the Security, Transnational Affairs and Assistance (STA) Office.  As Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy Tallinn, Estonia, she focused on Transatlantic security on NATO’s eastern flank.  Other overseas assignments included Kyiv, Ukraine; the U.S. military Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan; Moscow, Russia; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; and Lahore, Pakistan.

She has a bachelor’s degree in history and German from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in modern German history.  She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Niger, West Africa, and speaks German, Russian, French and Hausa. A proud native of Minnesota, she is married to Jason P. Gresh.

About the Moderator

The Honorable Chase Untermeyer has held positions at all four levels of government – local, state, national, and international — over a period of more than 40 years, with work in journalism, academia, and business as well.

A 1968 graduate of Harvard College, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He was a Texas state representative; an assistant secretary of the Navy under President Reagan; director of Presidential Personnel and director of the Voice of America under the first President Bush; and U.S. ambassador to Qatar under the second President Bush. He is currently professor of practice at the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Ambassador Untermeyer is the author of three volumes of diary-based memoirs of the Reagan-Bush era and the book How Important People Act.

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and United Airlines. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Houston Endowment. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.