ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday held separate meetings with his Saudi counterpart as well as the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

The World Economic Forum returned to Davos on Monday this week with multiple threats to the global economy topping the worries of the world’s well-heeled, with leaders flagging the risk of a worldwide recession, the conflict in Ukraine, a global oil supply crunch, and climate change.

“Bhutto Zardari met with His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, today,” the foreign office said in a statement.

“The Foreign Minister paid tribute to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for achieving new heights of progress and development of the Kingdom under their visionary leadership.”

 The two ministers expressed satisfaction over their “excellent bilateral partnership” and resolved to strengthen it. They also discussed regional and global issues.

The foreign minister also separately met Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajjraf, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), on the sidelines of the WEF.

“The Foreign Minister and the Secretary-General reviewed the status of Pakistan’s cooperation with GCC and its member states,” the foreign office said.

“The Foreign Minister and the Secretary-General agreed to explore further avenues for enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties between Pakistan and the GCC as well as to strengthen institutional linkages, in line with the Joint Action Plan for Strategic Dialogue,” the statement said. “On Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the two sides expressed determination to conclude the negotiations at the earliest possible.”