ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, reiterated the kingdom’s commitment to bolstering Pakistan’s economic development.
Addressing a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Prince Faisal “We will keep a follow on the constructive talks held between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”
Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Prince Faisal said that the visit of the high-level Saudi delegation was on the direction of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to the kingdom.
Prince Faisal underscored the potential for increased investment in Pakistan and highlighted upcoming initiatives aimed at fostering economic growth in the country. He emphasized collaborative efforts between the two nations to enhance economic development and regional security.
The Saudi FM highlighted that there are various avenues to increase investment in Pakistan and added that important work in this regard will be done in the next few months. “We will work together for economic development and security of the region,” he remarked.
He was in Pakistan for his two-day official visit where he met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Prince Faisal Bin Farhan has called upon the international community to take decisive action to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, expressing deep concern over the loss of lives during the ongoing conflict.
Prince Faisal lamented the failure of the international community in preventing the killings of over 33,000 lives in Gaza.
“We are now well beyond 33,000 civilians killed. We are now actively discussing the potential for famine In Gaza,” he said, adding that people were starving to death because humanitarian assistance was not reaching them. “This is an unacceptable situation. “It is a complete failure of the international system and systems of international law and government to live up to their responsibilities,” he said.
“There is no justification for the restriction of humanitarian aid in entering Gaza,” the Saudi FM said, adding that despite two UN Security Council resolutions, “we have not seen sufficient data [on aid] entering”.
“It is our position that de-escalation must be everybody’s priority and we will do everything we can to push in that direction,” he said.
“We have seen an inter-governmental approach in this format. This new format is really impressive. And it has given us a lot of confidence,” said FM Prince Faisal Bin Farhan while responding to a question about the key areas where the Saudi government was going to make investments.
Emphasizing the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza, Prince Faisal stressed the region’s inability to endure further conflict, noting the dire humanitarian situation and the need for unrestricted aid access. He also condemned the killing of six foreign aid workers and called out international double standards.
“We are already a trouble region, and we cannot afford any conflict further,” he added.
Backing Prince Faisal’s concerns, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar affirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Gaza and advocating for international intervention to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
The Saudi Foreign Minister said he had a “productive series” of meetings with Pakistani officials during which he had stressed the “importance and strategic depth” of bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the kingdom’s commitment to deepening that relationship through new avenues. “We are extremely impressed by the very proactive attitude that we saw in our meetings, especially with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and a very strong business-focused approach to addressing challenges and opportunities and highlighting the work we can do together.
“I feel very confident that the results of this visit and the results of the work being done between the two respective teams with this attitude, with this approach of focus on results and overcoming hurdles will deliver significant benefits for both of our countries and will significantly accelerate the process of achieving those investments that we are looking at together. I can say that there is a significant opportunity to increase the level of investment that is already on the table,” the Saudi foreign minister said.
Terming the visit so far to be a “very positive” one, the Saudi foreign minister said that the engagement so far laid the groundwork for “significant and important work to be done in the next few months in order to achieve all of the potential that exists”.
He said the kingdom was a strong believer in Pakistan’s untapped potential, particularly in terms of economic development which was “clear to everyone”.
He said he and FM Dar had covered all areas of mutual concern in regional international affairs.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the two had comprehensive discussions, covering various aspects of multifaceted cooperation. He appreciated the Saudi leadership’s “keen interest” in increasing investments in Pakistan, saying that the visit had provided the Saudi delegation with firsthand experience of the SIFC.
The foreign minister expressed his confidence that the briefings given to the Saudi delegation during the SIFC meeting had “successfully highlighted viable and attractive investment opportunities and options effectively capturing their interest”.
Dar said Pakistan was committed to providing Saudi investors with full support, relevant safeguards and a conducive environment for investment.
FM Dar said that Pakistan was also “deeply concerned” about Gaza, adding that the issue was discussed bilaterally with the foreign minister.
He said that the world’s consciousness must wake up. Dar said that the return of the displaced Palestinians must take place and there should be accountability for the crimes committed. “We believe the perpetual solution to this issue will be when a Palestinian state is established according to the 1964 resolution,” FM Dar said.
Dar also discussed investment opportunities, highlighting various sectors, including IT, and the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in fostering economic relations.
Prince Faisal acknowledged the significant contribution of Pakistani citizens to the Saudi economy and expressed commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation to address shared challenges.
Both sides affirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation, underscoring the importance of collaboration in addressing regional and global issues.
