ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bilal Akbar met with Riyadh’s envoy in Islamabad Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki in the Saudi capital to discuss Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming visit to the Kingdom.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, H.E. Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki met today Ambassador of Pakistan to KSA, H.E Bilal Akbar at 🇵🇰Embassy, Riyadh. The two Ambassadors discussed matters pertaining to the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to KSA. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/3pUJC37bTo
— Pakistan Embassy Saudi Arabia (@PakinSaudiArab) May 2, 2021
Prime Minister Imran is visiting Saudi Arabia next week on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
In March, the Crown Prince had made a telephonic call to inquire about the prime minister’s health as the latter had tested positive for Covid-19 and was spending time in quarantine. Wishing Khan a quick recovery, Mohammed Bin Salman had invited him to visit Saudi Arabia after recovery which the prime minister accepted.
During their meeting, both ambassadors reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen the “time tested brotherhood and friendship between the two countries, with a renewed emphasis on economic cooperation.”
According to Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, the visit will prove a milestone in bilateral relations, and the two countries are expected to sign several accords and memorandums of understanding (MoU) in diversified areas, especially economic and trade relations.
Last week, Ambassador Al-Malki told Arab News that “this visit will further strengthen relations between both countries in all fields,” adding that “there will be many memoranda of understanding” signed during the visit.
The two countries had inked agreements for $20 billion investment projects, during the crown prince’s visit to Pakistan in February 2019.
Al-Malki said that while work on the projects had “already begun,” a planned preferential trade agreement would also lead to broader economic cooperation.
