ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with Saudi Minister of Media, Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah, at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO). 

Qureshi underscored that Pakistan places immense importance on its relationship with Saudi Arabia, as the two officials held talks, the FO said.

“In the meeting, both discussed bilateral relations, issues of mutual interest and cooperation in the fields of information and culture,” the statement added.

Qureshi said that “both countries have homogeneity on important regional and global issues.” 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a historic, cultural, and long-term relationship which which was further strengthened by the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in February this year, he added. 

Qureshi also termed the establishment of Pak-Saudi Supreme Coordination Council an important step toward promotion of political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

He further thanked the Kingdom for increasing Hajj quota for Pakistani pilgrims to 200,000.

During the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s to Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested for the quota to be increased from 184,210 to 200,000, which the Saudi royal had duly accepted.

Earlier, the Saudi minister met with Pakistani journalists and political personalities during a dinner hosted by Saudi envoy to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Al-Shabanah had visited Pakistan in February this year as part of the Saudi delegation accompanying Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed various vistas of cooperation between the two countries to broaden their relationship in the fields of media and culture.

Subsequently, popular Pakistani soap operas with Arabic subtitles were aired in the Kingdom recently.

Pakistan enjoys close bilateral and strategic relations with Saudi Arabia and seeks to explore diverse fields of cooperation.

Early this month, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Raja Ali Ejaz, called on Dr. Hisham bin Saad Aljadhey, President of the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) in Riyadh on July 24 to expand cooperation in the food sector.

According to the Pakistan’s Embassy in Riyadh, during the meeting, the two sides discussed various facets of cooperation in food sector. “Pakistani side also discussed matters concerning the enhancement of food items import from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, including the lifting of long-imposed ban on import of certain categories of shrimps from Pakistan,” the embassy added. 

The Saudi crown prince visited Pakistan in February this year, bringing what was described as a “record investment package” to assist the wobbling economy of the South Asian country.

To help Pakistan deal with its depleting foreign exchange reserves and stave off a balance of payments crisis, Saudi Arabia pledged a $6 billion aid package for Pakistan last year.