ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Wednesday reiterated their commitment to further enhance bilateral cooperation in a broad spectrum of areas during a meeting between the kingdom’s envoy Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and the country’s energy minister Khurram Dastgir Khan in Islamabad.
Previously, the two countries agreed to deepen their strategic relations during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia which took place only a few days after he assumed the top political office of his country on April 11.
The kingdom has frequently helped Pakistan in the past during financial crises by offering it differed oil payment facility and depositing money in its central bank.
“The ambassador expressed his high hopes for the incumbent government and said people of Pakistan deserve stability and progress,” said an official handout circulated by the power division after the meeting. “The leadership of both brotherly countries were determined to further enhance the bilateral ties and cooperation in diverse fields.”
Last year, Saudi Arabia showed interest in investing $500 million to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector.
According to World Bank data, about 30 percent of Pakistan’s population lacks access to electric power due to its high costs in the country.
Pakistan’s previous administration promised that 60 percent of all energy produced by 2030 would be clean.
The country has also been working to strengthen its alternative energy sector for which it has sought cooperation from friendly nations.
