ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Monday. 

The development took place as Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki called on Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. Their meeting took place days after Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday after exchanging lethal missile, drone and artillery strikes. 

“They discussed the full gamut of bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen already existing fraternal relations across all sectors,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said about Dar’s meeting with Malki. 

Saudi Arabia was one of the few countries that were actively engaged in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan last week after the former launched missile strikes against the latter on Wednesday. 

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan spoke to Dar over the phone on May 10, expressing condolences over the loss of lives due to India’s strikes. The two had spoken after Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir visited Pakistan after his surprise stop in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share close diplomatic and strategic relations. The Kingdom has extended significant support to Pakistan during prolonged economic challenges faced by Islamabad in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs.

The two regional and economic allies signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion in October last year. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for cash-strapped Pakistan.