PM Sharif stresses close ties with KSA

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal recently underscored the good bilateral ties binding the two countries.
“Saudi Arabia regards Pakistan as an important country in the Islamic world. We look forward to a rejuvenated Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,” Prince Saud said during a recent meeting with Sharif on the sidelines of the 68th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.
The two countries have close fraternal ties and common positions on various international issues including the Palestinian problem.
The Pakistan premier said: “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close fraternal ties. The estimated 1.5 million Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia serve as a bridge between the two brotherly countries.”
He stressed the need to develop an effective mechanism to resolve differences and conflict in the Arab world.
Sharif thanked Prince Saud for the Kingdom's support of Pakistani projects including the additional $100 million loan agreement for the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday by Managing Director of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Yousef Ibrahim Al-Bassam‚ and secretary Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Nargis Sethi.
The Kingdom has already co-financed the project with an amount of $81 million. SFD also announced a grant of $100 million for health and education in Pakistan.
Many Pakistani expatriates in the Kingdom have welcomed the strong Saudi-Pakistan relationship and hoped that the strategic economic partnership and bilateral relations will boost the economy, trade and culture of both countries.
Asher Noor, a chief financial officer in Riyadh, said: “Government should take important steps to encourage the private and government sectors to capture a better share of the Kingdom’s markets and promote trade with other Asian countries.”
Ahtasham Malik, a Riyadh-based marketing specialist, also commended the efforts of both countries and said that the strong ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would directly empower the business community to invest their money without fear. The respective authorities should focus on the small and medium level investors in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Pakistan Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan commented on the Kingdom’s support for the Neelum Jhelum hydropower project and said that bilateral relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan has always been close and friendly.