Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reaffirmed their intention to move quickly to implement the $5 billion first wave of an investment package that was previously proposed.
At the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Sunday, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, had an official meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Asserting Pakistan’s dedication to fostering bilateral relations and economic cooperation, Prime Minister Sharif expressed appreciation for the Kingdom’s unwavering support and hospitality.
Building on the brotherly ties between the two countries and looking at ways to improve cooperation in a number of areas were the main topics of conversation. The importance of the Kingdom’s assistance to Pakistan’s economy and the shared goal of enhancing trade and investment bothered Pakistan. A $5 billion investment package was committed to be expedited in its first wave by both parties.
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- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia seek for resolution of the Kashmir issue:
The two parties highlighted the necessity of Pakistan-India dialogue to resolve the two nations’ unresolved issues.
In a joint statement, the two sides emphasised the significance of engagement between Pakistan and India to settle their outstanding differences, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is crucial to maintaining regional peace and security. Speaking in the Pakistani National Assembly (NA), Mr. Sharif, who assumed leadership a month ago, brought up the Kashmir dispute and said, “Come together, and let’s approve a resolution in favour of Palestinian and Kashmiri freedom by the National Assembly.
The relationship between India and Pakistan is still chilly, and neither country has a high commissioner in New Delhi or Islamabad. The latest attempt to restore relations was in 2015, but it failed due to terror events in Pathankot and Uri, which eventually prompted India to launch a surgical strike. India and Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, have been developing closer ties. Saudi Arabia is home to a substantial Indian community in addition to being India’s primary supply of hydrocarbons.. Apart from that, Prince Salman spoke on behalf of his nation at the G20 meeting in September 2023, which also marked the opening of the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The IMEC is an economic corridor designed to link Israel and the Gulf area with Europe and India.
- Situation in Gaza
Along with topics of mutual interest, the two presidents discussed the troubling situation in Gaza as well as other regional and international developments. The need for the international community to put pressure on Israel to end hostilities, follow international law, and allow unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to Gaza was emphasised, along with their calls for international efforts to stop Israeli military operations in Gaza and lessen their negative humanitarian effects.
They talked about the necessity of pursuing the peace process in line with pertinent Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative, which seeks to find a fair and comprehensive solution for the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Both parties emphasised how crucial communication is to resolving Pakistan’s and India’s unresolved differences, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir conflict, which is crucial to maintaining regional peace and stability.
Additionally, the Crown Prince welcomed the prime minister’s invitation to make an official visit to Pakistan as soon as possible.