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PM leaves for Saudi Arabia on three-day official visit
APP
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday left here for Saudi Arabia on a three-day official visit on the invitation of Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his Special Assistants on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, and Special Assistants on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi. In his pre-departure statement, the prime minister said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are brotherly countries which are tied in the bonds of shared faith and values. He said that every Pakistani has a special place in his heart for the Saudi King as he is the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques. He said that the relations between the two countries had grown stronger with the passage of time. During the visit, the prime minister will hold talks with the Saudi King. The prime minister will perform Umrah in Makkah Mukarramah and visit Madinah Munawwara to offer prayers at the Masjid-e-Nabvi (Peace Be Upon Him). “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are tied in close fraternal bonds of shared faith and values. Being the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia has a special place in the hearts of every Pakistani,” the Foreign Office said. Saudi Arabia hosts more than 1.7 million Pakistanis whose remittances contribute substantially to the economy of Pakistan. Annual trade volume between the two countries exceeds $4.5 billion. “The official visit of the prime minister will provide an opportunity to the leadership of the two countries to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern in the global and regional context and further strengthen our close bilateral relations,” the Foreign Office said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk