ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this week reaffirmed their desire to enhance defense cooperation in all domains, a statement from Pakistan Army’s media wing said on Tuesday, as both sides held talks on the evolving security environment in the region and issues of bilateral interest.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong defense ties and bilateral security cooperation. The two nations regularly engage in joint air, ground and sea military exercises. Several cadets from the kingdom, along with counterparts from other Middle Eastern nations, visit Pakistan to undergo specialized army training annually.
The discussions took place during the third meeting of the ‘Pakistan-KSA Defense Collaboration’ forum at the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
“Both sides reaffirmed their desire to enhance defense cooperation in all domains to achieve self-sufficiency in the field of defense production,” the army’s media wing said.
It added that rapid advancements in military technologies and the need for defense industrial cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were also discussed during the meeting.
“Forum reiterated the need to explore further avenues for defense cooperation and enhancing the pace of collaboration,” the ISPR said, adding that issues of bilateral interest and an evolving security environment was also discussed.
Saudi Arabia is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Along with the UAE, the kingdom has frequently bailed Pakistan out of its economic crisis over the years. Last year, Saudi Arabia lent $2 billion to Pakistan which proved critical in helping it secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and avoid a sovereign debt default.
