PM Imran, Saudi crown prince agree to enhance bilateral economic ties

RIYADH: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have expressed satisfaction at existing cooperation in bilateral military and security relations, and agreed to further augment collaboration and cooperation to achieve mutually agreed goals.

According to the joint statement issued about the prime minister’s three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, which is concluding today, the two leaders, at their meeting, reviewed all facets of bilateral cooperation and discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.

The two sides discussed ways to strengthen and enhance economic and trade relations by exploring areas of investment and opportunities available in light of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision and Pakistan’s development priorities emanating from a shift from geo-politics to geo-economics.

The discussions also focused on increasing cooperation in other fields, including energy, science, technology, agriculture and culture.

The Saudi Crown Prince assured the Prime Minister of his country’s continued support to Imran Khan’s vision to transform Pakistan into a modern developed and welfare state.

The two leaders stressed the need for concerted efforts by the Muslim countries to confront extremism and violence, reject sectarianism, and strive to achieve international peace and security.

They also stressed the importance of continuing joint efforts to combat terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations.

They reaffirmed that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group.

The two sides reaffirmed their full support for all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially, their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions.

They also expressed their support for political solutions in Syria and Libya, as well as the efforts of the United Nations and its envoys in this regard.

The two sides also stressed the importance of supporting efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the conflict in Yemen based on the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue, and the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Discussing the situation in Afghanistan, the Crown Prince acknowledged Pakistan’s facilitative role in the Afghan peace process.

The two sides, underlining that an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement is the only way forward, urged the Afghan parties to realize the historic opportunity for achieving a political settlement in Afghanistan.

They agreed to continue supporting each other at multilateral fora.

The Crown Prince, welcomed the recent understanding reached between the military authorities of Pakistan and India regarding ceasefire at the Line of Control, which is based on a 2003 understanding between Pakistan and India.

The two sides emphasized the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially Jammu and Kashmir dispute, to ensure peace and stability in the region.