ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday congratulated the newly appointed vice president of the United Arab Emirates and crown prince of Abu Dhabi for assuming their offices while reiterating his country’s commitment to further strengthen ties with the Gulf nation under their leadership.
The UAE and Pakistan have close fraternal relations and bilateral cooperation in a broad spectrum of areas. The UAE is Pakistan’s largest trade partner in the Middle East and home to more than 1.6 million of its nationals.
Earlier this year, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan district on a private trip and discussed issues of bilateral interest between the two countries. He also gave an assurance that the UAE would “always stand by Pakistan.”
“Heartfelt felicitations from the people and the government of Pakistan on the appointment of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan as the Vice President of the UAE,” PM Sharif wrote in Twitter post. “May this new chapter be filled with success and prosperity for the UAE and its people.”
He also congratulated the newly appointed crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, and said that Pakistan was looking forward to continuing its strong partnership with the UAE.
“Congratulations to His Highness Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on his appointment as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi,” he said. “As a brotherly country, we look forward to continuing our strong partnership & working together toward a brighter future for our people & the region.”
On Wednesday, the top UAE diplomat in Pakistan, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salim Al-Zaabi, held a meeting with Pakistan’s finance minister, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pushed the South Asian nation to get external financing commitments from friendly countries before it releases bailout funds.
