PM Shehbaz, Saudi Crown Prince reaffirm resolve to further strengthening strong & longstanding Pak-Saudi Arabia fraternal ties
ISLAMABAD, August 15 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had a telephonic conversation with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The Prime Minister conveyed his deep respects to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
During the telephone call, the Crown Prince congratulated the Prime Minister and the people of Pakistan on 75th Anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence. The Crown Prince also conveyed best wishes for the continued progress, prosperity and development of Pakistan.
The two leaders also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. Both the leaders reaffirmed the resolve to further strengthening the strong, longstanding Pakistan-Saudi Arabia fraternal ties.
The Prime Minister and the Crown Prince reviewed the progress made on the decisions taken by the two sides during the visit of the Prime Minister in April 2022. They resolved to expedite the ongoing cooperation in investment, energy and trade fields.
Recalling the historic support extended by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan in times of need, the Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the economic and development support provided to Pakistan in recent times.
The Prime Minister reiterated his cordial invitation to the Crown Prince for a state visit to Pakistan, which he graciously accepted.
Meanwhile the Ambassador of Uzbekistan, Oybek Usmanov, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday.
The Ambassador conveyed warm greetings from the President of Uzbekistan for Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and said that President Shavkat Mirziyeyov was looking forward to welcome the Prime Minister to the SCO Summit at Samarkand next month.
The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s vision for deeper engagement with Central Asia and the important role of Uzbekistan in this regard. He expressed satisfaction at the level of close and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and emphasized the importance of further deepening bilateral trade and economic ties.
The Prime Minister underlined the significance of Trans-Afghan Railway Project to advance the connectivity agenda and promote regional prosperity. He also invited Uzbek investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of Pakistan, particularly in industrial, electronics and agricultural sectors, which would accrue mutual benefits.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif underscored the need to urgently operationalize the Transit Trade Agreement and Preferential Trade Agreement in order to fully unlock the immense bilateral economic potential. He also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to provide transit access to Central Asian Republics to the ports of Karachi, Bin Qasim and Gwadar.
The Prime Minister stressed closer collaboration in education, tourism and cultural spheres to promote people-to-people contacts. He underlined the importance of direct air connectivity in this context and urged upon the respective national airlines to start operations at the earliest to facilitate the movement of businessmen, students and tourists between the two countries.
While highlighting convergent perspectives of Pakistan and Uzbekistan on regional issues, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong resolve for lasting peace, security and stability of Afghanistan.