ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Qatar on a two-day official visit on Tuesday to hold meetings with the top leadership of the Arab country and interact with representatives of business community to highlight investment opportunities in Pakistan.
Qatar is home to more than 200,000 Pakistani nationals who have been contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of the two states.
The governments of the two countries have also tried to enhance collaboration in different economic fields in recent years while closely coordinating with each other on regional and international issues.
The prime minister announced in a string of Twitter posts earlier in the day he was leaving for Qatar at the invitation of its top leader, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
He hoped that his visit would “renew the bond of brotherhood & friendship,” adding that both countries wanted to transform their bilateral ties “into a more robust strategic relationship.”
“During my interactions with market & business leaders, I will highlight the exciting investment opportunities in Pakistan’s various sectors such as renewable energy, food security, industrial & infrastructure development, tourism and hospitality,” he said on Twitter.
“The world is experiencing slow economic recovery from Covid-19,” he continued. “Geo-political tensions have affected supply chains & rising energy & food prices have added more woes. Our shared challenges call for exploring new avenues for cooperation.”
Earlier, the foreign office announced in a statement that Sharif would be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including his key cabinet members.
“The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on advancing energy-related cooperation, deepening trade and investment ties, and exploring greater employment opportunities for Pakistanis in Qatar,” the official statement said.
The foreign office informed that the prime minister would also visit “Stadium 974” in Doha, where he would be briefed on the extensive preparations undertaken by the Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup.
Pakistan’s information ministry said on Monday the country’s cabinet had approved a draft agreement to allow the government to provide troops for security during the World Cup matches.
According to Reuters, the government of Qatar had requested Pakistan’s security assistance during the tournament between November 21 and December 18, 2022.
The wire service reported that Pakistan’s military proposed the signing of an agreement between both states for the purpose.
