LAHORE    -    U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Andrew Schofer has said that Punjab has immense economic po­tential and empowering economy of the province will economically em­power local population besides having a positive spillover impact on the country economy. During a three-day visit to pro­vincial capital Lahore and industrial hub Faisalabad, he underscored United States’ partnership with people of Punjab through initiatives related to edu­cation, cultural preserva­tion and economic devel­opment. The DCM Schofer visited higher education institutions, software houses, and places of his­torical and cultural im­portance during his visit to the two cities. In Lahore, the US diplomat met leaders at NETSOL Technologies and discussed Pakistan’s digital ecosys­tem and highlighted areas where U.S. Mission can partner with the private sector for innovative digital solu­tions. DCM Schofer also toured Sune­hri Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque and the adjoining areas. These cul­tural landmarks have been conserved through financial assistance from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Pres­ervation (AFCP) of the US embassy Islamabad. Founded in 2001, AFCP has invested more than 7.6 million dollars on 32 cultural preservation proj­ects. The latest project is an almost one million dol­lars restoration project of seven sites at the Lahore Fort. During his Faisala­bad visit, Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer inaugurated a U.S. Mission Pakistan funded Career Expo at the University of Education (UoE). The Ca­reer Expo was attended by U.S. government spon­sored English Works pro­gram alumni, university students, and members of the busi­ness community. English for Work­force Development in Pakistan, popu­larly known as English Works, caters to unemployed and under-employed youth between 17 and 25 years of age in seven districts of Punjab.