PM Shehbaz Sharif to leave for three-day Saudi Arabia visit tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart on a three-day maiden visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday (tomorrow), ARY News reported.

According to Foreign Office, the newly-appointed PM Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This would be the prime minister’s first visit abroad after assuming Office earlier this month. The premier will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including key members of the cabinet.

During the visit, PM Shehbaz Sharif will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties and creation of greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia.

The two sides will also exchange views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bound by fraternal relationship marked by mutual trust and understanding, close cooperation, and an abiding tradition of supporting each other, the FO said in a statement.

The people of Pakistan hold the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the highest esteem. The bilateral relationship is complemented by close mutual collaboration at regional and international fora. Saudi Arabia is a member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, it added.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to more than two million Pakistanis, contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of the two brotherly countries, the statement continued.

Regular high-level visits are a key feature of this special relationship. The prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia will impart a strong impetus to deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields and further reinforce the growing partnership between the two countries, the statement added.