ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday made a phone call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to greet him on Eid Al-Fitr and express gratitude for the warm welcome extended by the Saudi authorities during his recent visit to the kingdom.
Sharif went on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the crown prince on Thursday. This was also his first foreign trip as prime minister after his immediate predecessor Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote last month.
According to a joint statement issued after completion of his visit to the kingdom, the two sides discussed extending the term of a $3 billion Saudi deposit in Pakistan’s central bank.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded by the Saudi leadership and the government during his recent visit to the Kingdom on 28-30 April 2022,” said an official statement released by the PM Office. “Recalling his interaction with the Crown Prince during the visit, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen the historic fraternal ties with Saudi Arabia and further elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries in all spheres.”
Sharif expressed his resolve to implement the decisions taken during his recent meeting with the Saudi crown prince.
He also conveyed his warm wishes and prayers as well as Eid greetings for King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the people of Saudi Arabia.
The crown prince reciprocated the Eid greetings and reaffirmed his desire to work together with Pakistan to diversify bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders agreed to further broaden and deepen the relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for the mutual benefit of their people.