Senior Director James Schwemlein spoke with CNA (Channel NewsAsia) to contextualize an offer from Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks with his Indian counterpart over a variety of economic and political issues.

He announced this change while he was visiting the United Arab Emirates, a country that is drawing closer to India but has historically been close to Pakistan. [Additionally,] Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, so he's asking for money from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, from China, the International Monetary Fund. [Finally,] there is an internal political crisis in Pakistan ahead of an election. They've just faced a tumultuous period with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, they've just had a transition in their Chief of Army Staff, and they're running into an election in the next eight months.

Watch the full interview below.