RIYADH: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday agreed to bring about a qualitative change in their economic, trade and investment relationship as Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz vowed to enhance meaningful cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with the Saudi Crown Prince on the sidelines of the ‘One Water Summit’ in Riyadh.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in Riyadh on a two-day state visit to attend the One Water Summit.
Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the pace of progress of the implementation of the MoUs and agreements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia regarding the Saudi investment in the South Asian country, Radio Pakistan reported.
PM Shehbaz thanked the Crown Prince for his most genuine affection for the people of Pakistan. He reiterated his invitation to the Crown Prince to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
The Crown Prince responded that he was looking forward to his visit to Pakistan.
The Saudi Crown Prince stressed that it is important to ensure that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enhance meaningful cooperation that will bring about economic growth and prosperity in Pakistan.
The Crown Prince spoke of his great pleasure at meeting the Pakistani Prime Minister for the fifth time over the past six months. He said that this was the evidence of the genuine love and affection that connect the peoples of the two countries.
Meanwhile, in his post on his social media handle X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that frequent high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are paving the way for mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries.
PM Shehbaz said he had the pleasure and honour of meeting with his brother Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Prime Minister said we reaffirmed our strong brotherly ties and discussed ways to further enhance our cooperation in trade and investment.
Shehbaz Sharif said he is grateful to the Crown Prince’s personal interest and support in building closer Saudi Arabia-Pakistan ties for the benefit of our people.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the One Water Summit.
During the meeting, both leaders reiterated the shared desire of the two sides to remain closely engaged on all regional and international issues of common interest.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the full spectrum of the Pakistan-France relationship, including political, economic, trade, and investment, as well as cooperation at multilateral forums, including the United Nations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to further strengthen mutually advantageous economic and trade ties between the two countries.
He encouraged France to take advantage of investment opportunities in Pakistan, especially in areas of climate adaptation and renewable energy.
He lauded France’s leadership role on climate change and development issues and appreciated President Macron’s support for the people of Pakistan in the wake of the 2022 devastating floods.
He also warmly congratulated President Macron on the successful co-hosting of the One Water Summit in Riyadh.
