ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a wide-ranging phone call on Monday, accepting an invitation from the Saudi leader to visit the kingdom “in the near future.”
“The Crown Prince invited the Prime Minister to undertake a visit to Saudi Arabia in the near future,” the Pakistani PM’s office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister graciously accepted the invitation.”
Khan took to Twitter on Monday to welcome the “Green Saudi Arabia” and “Green Middle East” initiatives of the Saudi crown prince, saying they complimented Pakistan’s own initiatives to battle climate change.
The crown prince had called the leaders of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Sudan to discuss a massive regional tree-planting project, Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported early on Monday.
The Saudi Green Initiative is part of the prince’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce its reliance on oil revenues and improve quality of life.
The crown prince unveiled the ambitious campaign on Saturday that will see Saudi Arabia planting 10 billion trees in the coming decades and working with other Arab states to plant another 40 billion trees, reduce carbon emissions and combat pollution and land degradation.
“Am delighted to learn of ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ & ‘Green Middle East’ initiatives by my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman!” Khan had written on Twitter earlier on Monday. “Have offered our support on these as there are many complementarities with our ‘Clean & Green Pakistan’ & ‘10 Billion-Tree Tsunami’.”
Am delighted to learn of "Green Saudi Arabia" & "Green Middle East " initiatives by my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman! Have offered our support on these as there are many complementarities with our "Clean & Green Pakistan" & "10 Billion-Tree Tsunami. pic.twitter.com/ExHSS8DUVh
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 29, 2021
Khan was referring to his government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program, an ambitious five-year tree-planting project launched in 2018, with the aim of countering rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather in the country that scientists link to climate change.
In a letter to the crown prince, Khan said while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already maintained close cooperation on climate change issues at multilateral forums, “a meaningful and structured bilateral engagement can help advance our shared vision and create mutually beneficial opportunities for partnership.”
He also said Pakistan would be happy to share its knowledge and experience of climate change initiatives with the kingdom.
