RIYADH: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan received Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan at his office at the presidential residence in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday.
Prince Faisal conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the premier and the government and people of Pakistan, while Khan conveyed his greetings and appreciation to the king, the crown prince, and the government and people of Saudi Arabia.
At the beginning of the reception, the prime minister congratulated the Saudi leaders on the success of this year’s Hajj season, and that they were able to maintain an environment free from the spread of COVID-19 and other epidemic diseases’
Khan praised the precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom during the Hajj pilgrimage to preserve the health and safety of pilgrims.
During the meeting, they reviewed the historical and well-established relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in all fields, through the Saudi-Pakistani Coordination Council, which aims to enhance effective partnership and intensify coordination on issues of common interest.
The two sides also held talks on the importance of exploring investment and available opportunities related to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, in order to achieve more prosperity for the two countries.
The prime minister lauded the important role of Pakistan’s community in Saudi Arabia in the progress and development of the two countries and underlined that the strong people-to-people linkages helped building solid foundations of cooperation.
Khan, noting the difficulties being faced by Pakistani nationals due to ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions, also underlined the importance of timely measures for facilitation of their return to Saudi Arabia when possible.
During his visit to the Pakistani capital, Prince Faisal also met with President Arif Alvi, who echoed the strong relations between his country and Saudi Arabia.
The visit is Prince Faisal’s second state visit to Pakistan in a year. He was last in Islamabad in December 2020.
The Pakistani foreign office said the Saudi foreign minister was visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
