US supports Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan amid regional diplomatic activities

ISLAMABAD: The United States said on Tuesday it encourages diplomatic engagements among its partners and supports the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Pakistan, expected sometime this month.
The statement by State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller was issued in response to a question about diplomatic activities in the region, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s official tour of the South Asian state.
The Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan is likely to occur amid high-level exchanges between the two countries, as Islamabad seeks foreign investment to address its economic challenges.
“We always support diplomatic engagement between our partners,” Miller said during a media briefing. “I don’t have any further comment on the visit between the Saudi crown prince to Pakistan, but it’s – that kind of diplomatic engagement is routine and something that we support and encourage.”
“But when it comes to Iran, of course, while we welcome regional de-escalation, we’ve seen the outbreak of limited conflict between Iran and Pakistan,” he continued. “We do remain skeptical about Iran’s intentions given its continued destabilizing behavior broadly in the region.”
Last month, Raisi arrived in Pakistan on a three-day official visit as the two neighbors sought to mend ties after unprecedented tit-for-tat military strikes in January. The visit also took place as tensions were running high in the Middle East after Iran launched airstrikes on Israel that retaliated with its own attack on Isfahan.
Pakistan and Iran are also working on a gas pipeline project agreed between them in 2009 amid the threat of US economic sanctions.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday the government in Islamabad would continue to pursue its own interest as a sovereign state.
He also confirmed the Saudi crown prince’s much-awaited visit to Islamabad was on the cards and could materialize “any time” during this month.