ISLAMABAD: The army chief arrived in Riyadh on a week-long official visit, first to Saudi Arabia and then United Arab Emirates (UAE), until January 10, as Pakistan looks to help shore up alliances with countries struggling with the impact of rising inflation.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen. Syed Asim Munir will call on the senior leadership of the two “brotherly countries” to discuss bilateral ties and military-to-military cooperation, among other topics.
On Thursday morning, he met Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi defence minister, and discussed the ways to strengthen cooperation between the two nations, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
According to SPA, the general arrived in the oil-rich kingdom in the early hours of Thursday where he was received by the minister. It said the two also emphasised the strength and durability of bilateral relations.
Pleased to meet H.E General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff. We emphasized the strategic partnership between our brotherly countries, reviewed the bilateral military and defense relations, and discussed ways of strengthening our cooperation. pic.twitter.com/HAtcNKX6O3
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) January 4, 2023
Munir and Salman also discussed military and defence cooperation, as well as ways to support and enhance them.
During the meeting, the minister congratulated Munir on his appointment as the head of the Pakistan Army.
Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves barely cover a month’s worth of imports, most of which are accounted for by energy purchases from abroad, with funds expected under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme having been delayed.
Islamabad also struggles to quell default fears in domestic and international markets, with a $1.1 billion IMF bailout tranche stuck due to differences over the ninth programme review, which should have been completed in November.
Other critical multilateral and bilateral financing avenues are also linked to the IMF programme, which means the nation is hard-pressed to meet external financing needs of over $30 billion up until June, including debt repayments and energy imports.
Last month, the Saudi government said it will help Pakistan’s finances and will “continue to support Pakistan as much as we can”.
Previously, it extended the term of a $3 billion deposit to boost foreign currency reserves and help Pakistan in overcoming the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.
— With Reuters
