Turkiye’s Erdogan visits Saudi Arabia: What to expect
Erdogan will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, his office says.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif touched down in Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening for a three-day visit. Accompanying him were the Chief of Defence Forces, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, who recently returned from Jordan.
Saudi Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Environment Engineer Abdulrahman and Pakistani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq were among the officials present to welcome the premier at Jeddah airport.
During the visit, Shehbaz Sharif will perform Umrah and pay a visit to the mosque of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in Madina. Earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced the trip in a weekly briefing, stating that discussions during the visit will center on bolstering the Pakistan-Saudi bilateral relationship and exchanging views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
The premier emphasized that the visit is a testament to Pakistan's long-standing partnership with Saudi Arabia, built on decades of mutual trust, cooperation, and brotherhood.
Andrabi noted that despite ongoing tensions in the Gulf, the visit will hold significant importance beyond short-term considerations. He added that it will further strengthen bilateral relations, deepen strategic cooperation, enhance coordination on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and reinforce multilateral cooperation.
The premier's last visit to Saudi Arabia was in April, where he met with the kingdom's top leadership. In recent times, Saudi Arabia has proposed a multinational maritime defense coalition to safeguard shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea, with Pakistan voicing support. Pakistan also endorsed Saudi air strikes in Iraq, and the two nations have been cooperating closely on various fronts, including their recent warnings against hostile actions targeting their maritime interests.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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