Blinken's statement came two days after the Western-friendly Sharif, 70, took the oath of office following days of political turmoil leading to Khan's dismissal in Pakistan's first no-confidence vote since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Khan, a former cricket star-turned politician, sought to derail the vote by dissolving Parliament and calling early elections after claiming that Washington was colluding with his opponents to oust him.

Khan, 69, provided no proof of his allegations, which the United States denied.

Pakistan's highest court declared Khan's actions unconstitutional and ordered the vote to proceed. A majority of Parliament's lower house supported his ouster on Sunday.

Despite Blinken's warm tone, analysts said they do not expect Washington to seek a significant broadening of ties, but to remain mostly focused on security cooperation, especially on counterterrorism and Afghanistan.

Analysts said they expected Sharif, the brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to be preoccupied with pressing domestic issues, especially trying to contain a serious economic crisis.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Eric Beech; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bill Berkrot)