ISLAMABAD, Apr 28 (Agencies): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday left here for Saudi Arabia on a three-day visit at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.
Federal Ministers and parliamentarians including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Muftah Ismail, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Asif, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Mohsin Dawar accompanied the prime minister.
“Today, I am embarking on a visit to Saudi Arabia to renew and reaffirm our bonds of brotherhood and friendship,” the prime minister said in a tweet ahead of his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on April 28-30.
PM Shehbaz, who will undertake his maiden foreign trip on the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said he would hold wide-ranging discussions with the Saudi leadership.
“Saudi Arabia is one of our greatest friends and as Custodian of the Two Holy Places, has a special place in all our hearts,” he said.
PM Shehbaz Sharif is arriving in the holy city of Madina Munawwara today and will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including key members of the cabinet.
During the visit, he will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with a particular focus on advancing economic, trade, and investment ties and creating 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.
The Foreign Office in a statement said: “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.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bound by a fraternal relationship marked by mutual trust and understanding, close cooperation, and an abiding tradition of supporting each other.
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.
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 regular high-level visits are a key feature of this special relationship.
