- With support of royal family, Pak-UAE ties growing from strength to strength: PM Shehbaz
ISLAMABAD: Marking Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s first official visit on Thursday, five accords were signed between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates to boost bilateral cooperation in different fields.
Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties as the latter is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there.
The documents were signed in different fields, including banking, railways, mining and infrastructural investment. The crown prince and the prime minister witnessed the ceremony as officials from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding for cooperation in various fields.
Federal cabinet members, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir and members of the UAE delegation were also present.
“We held the most fruitful discussions and resolved to further strengthen our excellent bilateral ties, through enhanced trade, investment & energy cooperation. With the encouragement and support of the UAE’s royal family, Pakistan-UAE ties are growing from strength to strength!” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.
Both countries signed an agreement to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of banking. Secretary Finance Imdadullah Bosal and CEO & MD of IHC Syed Basar Shueb exchanged the documents.
The two sides also signed another agreement to boost cooperation in the field of mining.
Pakistan Railways CEO Amir Ali Baloch and CEO Etihad Rail Shadi Malik exchanged the documents for two MOUs for cooperation in the field of railways.
Similarly, Secretary Board of Investment Nadeem Chaudhary and CEO AD Ports Capt. Muhammad Juma Al Shamisi exchanged the documents for an MoU in the field of infrastructural investment.
Guard of Honour Nur Khan Airbase
Earlier upon his arrival at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, the Abu Dhabi crown prince was presented with a guard of honour by a contingent of the armed forces, said a statement from the PM’s Office.
The national anthems of both countries were played, while a cultural troupe representing all four provinces also performed on the occasion.
The crown prince landed earlier on Thursday at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase as he began his one-day official visit, which is focused on investment and economic cooperation.
He was received by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari. Other cabinet members, along with senior diplomatic and government officials, were present as well.
Prince Khaled shook hands with the president, the premier, and the deputy PM as they greeted him, while two children clad in traditional dress presented him with bouquets.
The venue was decorated with the flags of Pakistan and the UAE while a group of kids also welcomed the dignitary by waving the flags of both countries.
The crown prince was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers and senior officials, as well as prominent business leaders.
Pakistan and the UAE are set to sign several agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during the visit to “bolster [the] existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors”, according to the Foreign Office (FO).
“These commitments are expected to open new opportunities for joint ventures and projects aimed at furthering economic cooperation between both the countries and their peoples,” the FO said yesterday.
“This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the FO highlighted.
“Pakistan and the UAE have always enjoyed a relationship characterised by mutual respect, trust, and shared aspirations,” it said.
The FO noted that the crown prince’s visit “demonstrated both countries’ commitment to “elevate the mutual cooperation, reflective of growing partnership and robust people-to-people linkages”.
Pakistan and the UAE witnessed a high-level interaction on February 11, when PM Shehbaz met with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi. The premier was visiting the Gulf country to present Pakistan’s case for climate finance at the World Governments Summit.
