Pakistani President Receives Saudi Foreign Minister, High-Level Delegation in Islamabad

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari receives Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his accompanying delegation in Islamabad. (SPA)
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari receives Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his accompanying delegation in Islamabad. (SPA)
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Pakistani President Receives Saudi Foreign Minister, High-Level Delegation in Islamabad

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari receives Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his accompanying delegation in Islamabad. (SPA)
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari receives Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his accompanying delegation in Islamabad. (SPA)

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari received on Tuesday Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, who is on an official visit to the country.

Meeting at the Pakistani Presidential Palace in Islamabad, Prince Faisal conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the Pakistani president and their wishes for the Pakistani people further development and prosperity.

The officials reviewed the strong brotherly relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and ways to boost them in various fields.

They also discussed means to improve economic and development cooperation and push it towards broader horizons to achieve aspirations of more prosperity and development.

Prince Faisal was accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef, Advisor to the Royal Court Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki, as well as a number of senior officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and energy, Public Investment Fund, and the Saudi Fund for Development.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif later received Prince Faisal and the accompanying delegation.

They held talks on bilateral relations and joint cooperation and ways to boost them in all fields. They underlined the need to intensify bilateral and multilateral coordination on issues of common concern.

The officials also discussed economic and development cooperation, as well as international developments.

Prince Faisal also met with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Islamabad.

They reviewed the brotherly relations between the two countries and ways to bolster them.  

They discussed the development in the Middle East, especially in the Gaza Strip and its neighboring areas, efforts to reach a ceasefire, and the provision of more urgent humanitarian aid.



EU Gulf Envoy: Saudi Arabia Is a Crucial Global Player

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receiving European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receiving European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday (SPA)
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EU Gulf Envoy: Saudi Arabia Is a Crucial Global Player

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receiving European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receiving European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday (SPA)

Luigi Di Maio, the EU Special Representative for the Gulf region, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the recent visit by the President of the European Council to Saudi Arabia was to prepare for the upcoming EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Brussels on October 16.

This will be the first summit between the two regional organizations, with leaders from both sides attending, marking a significant step in their cooperation.

Di Maio stressed the importance of strong ties between leaders, noting that European Council President Charles Michel has been dedicated to strengthening these relations since his first visit to the Gulf two years ago, when he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

He added that since 2022, EU-Gulf relations have improved, with a focus on cooperation in areas like climate change, trade, investment, digitization, and sustainable supply chains.

Di Maio emphasized the need for ongoing dialogue to build mutual understanding and deepen these relations.

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s key role in global affairs, especially in seeking solutions for the Gaza conflict, reducing tensions in the Middle East, and pursuing a just peace in Ukraine.

He stressed that closer cooperation between the EU and Saudi Arabia is essential in tackling these issues.

Di Maio praised Thursday’s preparatory meeting in Riyadh between GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi and Michel, calling it “timely and constructive” for the upcoming summit.

He emphasized both sides’ commitment to making the summit a success, noting that it will “send a strong signal about elevating EU-Gulf relations to a strategic level.”

Di Maio outlined the key topics for discussion at the summit in Brussels, including climate action, the green transition, digital advancements, trade, investments, and visa exemptions.

He added that the summit will also address major geopolitical challenges, particularly in the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.