ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday spoke with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the phone and congratulated him on assuming the office, besides extending an invitation to visit the kingdom at an early date, the Pakistan PM's office said.
Sharif, 70, the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif, was elected as prime minister on April 11 following a week-long constitutional crisis that culminated in the weekend ouster of Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote.
“The Crown Prince warmly congratulated Mr. Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” a statement from PM Sharif's office read.
"The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the felicitations and expressed his resolve to work closely with the Kingdom to enhance and further strengthen bilateral relations between their two countries."
Pakistan has deep-rooted ties with Saudi Arabia, with nearly 2.5 million Pakistani expats living in the kingdom.
“The Saudi Crown Prince extended his cordial invitation to the Prime Minister to pay an official visit to the Kingdom, at an early date,” the statement said. "Thanking the Crown Prince for his gracious invitation, the Prime Minister also extended an invitation to the Crown Prince to undertake a state visit to Pakistan."
During the conversation, PM Sharif paid tributes to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for the remarkable progress and development of the kingdom under their visionary leadership.
The Pakistan prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to further advance these relations to new heights. PM Sharif and the crown prince agreed to work together to further augment and diversify their bilateral ties in all spheres, in particular trade, investment and employment generation opportunities.
“The Prime Minister thanked Saudi Arabia for its historic and continued support and cooperation, both bilaterally as well as at international forums, while also assuring the Crown Prince that Pakistan would stand by the Kingdom at all times,” the statement said.
Earlier this week, King Salman and the crown prince sent a cable of congratulations to Sharif on his oath-taking.
