Saudi delegation’s visit to usher in new era of close cooperation: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the visit of the Saudi high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud would usher in a new era of very close cooperation in coming months.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by him in honour of the Saudi Foreign Minister and his delegation, the prime minister said the Saudi delegation’s visit had conveyed a message of hope and happiness to the people of Pakistan.

The visit would help promote trade and climate dialogue between the two countries, besides investment for mutual advantage, he added.

“I am very happy to know that today’s discussion took place successfully and there has been very satisfactory progress between the two sides as areas of mutual interest have been highlighted.”

PM Shehbaz expressed the hope that multi-billion dollar agreements would be signed between the two sides and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman would likely to visit Pakistan to grace the occasion.

He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was a model that had been carved out in 2023.

It was a very robust mechanism supervised by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Apex Committee in which the Chief of Army Staff was a prominent member along with politicians and others, he added.

The Saudi foreign minister, on the occasion, said the two brotherly countries were initiating a new phase of bilateral partnership, including real and tangible economic cooperation.

He assured that Saudi Arabia would work hand in hand with Pakistan in promoting bilateral economic relations.