UNIPATH STAFF
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia announced cooperation on security issues relevant to both countries, including Afghanistan, the end to the civil war in Yemen and economic relations.
In July 2021, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi hosted Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud for talks in Islamabad.
“We have a very, very aligned view as toward the priority to regional stability, regional security, dialogue and resolving issues through dialogue, and we found that security is key,” Al Saud announced at the end of the visit.
Some of the discussions entailed the recently created Saudi Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council formed mainly to boost economic cooperation. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani workers rely on remittances from Saudi Arabia to support their families, and COVID-19 has dampened economic activity between the two countries.
“We have made good progress on what the structure should, what the organization should look like and what should be the work plan,” Qureshi said.
Al Saud agreed: “We talked of course about the valuable contribution that the Pakistani community is making to Saudi Arabia’s economy … and how we can expand the opportunities for Pakistanis in the kingdom.”
Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa used the occasion of Al Saud’s visit to reaffirm a relationship “based on bond of brotherhood and mutual trust,” Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations office said.
Pakistan has sought support for its vision of Afghanistan’s future, and Saudi Arabia has pressed Pakistan to assist in stabilizing Yemen.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Inter-Services Public Relations, Reuters