ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday held separate telephone conversations with his Saudi and Egyptian counterparts to discuss regional developments as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the Pakistani foreign office said.
The statement comes a day after the foreign ministry in Islamabad said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza.
It followed weeks of tensions over violent protests in Iran, which prompted threats from Washington of military intervention over the killing of more than 4,000 protesters, and developments in Yemen.
“Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and discussed regional developments and avenues for deeper bilateral cooperation,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
“Both leaders looked forward to continuing their discussions on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share a long-standing strategic partnership in political, security and economic domains, underpinned by deep religious and cultural ties. Both countries have closely engaged with each other on regional and global developments in recent months.
Also on Monday, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with his Saudi conterpart Mohammed Al-Jadaan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, the Pakistani finance ministry said.
“The bilateral engagement provided an opportunity for both leaders to exchange views on Pakistan’s economic progress and explore avenues for further strengthening the long-standing economic partnership between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the Pakistani ministry said.
“The meeting concluded in a warm and positive atmosphere, with both ministers reaffirming their commitment to further deepen and expand mutually beneficial economic relations.”
Separately, Dar spoke with his Egyptian counterpart Dr. Badr Abdelatty and discussed with him the recent regional developments and ongoing bilateral and multilateral issues, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“Both leaders emphasized the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation,” it added.
