Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Riyadh from March 18 to 19, at the invitation of the Saudi Foreign Minister, to participate in an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on regional developments, the Foreign Office (FO) announced. &ldquo;He [Dar] will reiterate Pakistan&rsquo;s call for a swift end to the ongoing conflict and urge the need for return to dialogue and diplomacy,&rdquo; according to the FO.&nbsp;During the visit, Foreign Minister Dar will express complete support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of all brotherly countries in the region and call for an end to all attacks on their territory. The foreign minister will highlight Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic outreach efforts and its desire to continue playing a pivotal role in resolving the grave security crisis facing the region.&nbsp;Saudi Arabia has convened the meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen regional security and stability. The meeting comes as tensions across the Middle East continue to surge following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets that triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region, raising fears of a wider conflict involving multiple countries and key global energy routes.&nbsp;The Middle East conflict has intensified after Iran confirmed the deaths of security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, promising revenge.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Riyadh to attend a meeting on regional developments and will reiterate Pakistan’s call for a swift end to the ongoing conflict, urging a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

Pakistan foreign minister to attend Riyadh regional meeting amid escalating Mideast conflict

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reviewed &#39;the evolving regional situation and recent developments&#39; in a telephonic conversation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Saudi Foreign Minister reaffirmed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening and deepening bilateral ties with Pakistan, highlighting the importance Riyadh attaches to its longstanding relationship with Islamabad, the statement said.&nbsp; Dar expressed satisfaction over the positive progress of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Riyadh, the statement added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005958717796417881&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0a4277fff51fc9779360cb27c73be39ad1b5ef70&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Dar also conveyed season&rsquo;s greetings and best wishes for the New Year to his counterpart, the statement said.&nbsp;Prince Faisal warmly reciprocated, the FO statement added.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister held a phone call to discuss regional developments, exchange new year greetings, express satisfaction over growing bilateral ties, and agree on further strengthening cooperation and long-standing relations.



Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation 

ISLAMABAD: In a significant boost to Pakistan Saudi defense ties, Lieutenant General Syed Aamer Raza, Chief of General Staff (CGS) Pakistan Army, held high-level talks in Riyadh with General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, Chief of General Staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces to discuss matters of mutual strategic interest on Friday.&nbsp;According to a press released by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on enhancing bilateral defense cooperation, improving interoperability, and advancing collaboration under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA). Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening long-standing fraternal ties and contributing to regional peace, stability, and self-reliance.&nbsp;A Special Meeting of the Pakistan-KSA bilateral defense Industrial Forum was also held, led by Lt Gen Aamer Raza from Pakistan and Khalid Al Biyari, Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs, from Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;Both dignitaries reviewed ongoing defense projects and explored new joint ventures in emerging technologies aligned with Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Vision 2030.&nbsp;&ldquo;Saudi leadership appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s commitments, achievements and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and vital contributions to regional peace and stability&rdquo;, the statement concluded.

In a meeting held in Riyadh, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discussed strengthening defense cooperation, reaffirmed their strong partnership. Saudi leaders praised Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss deepening defense cooperation in Riyadh

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasized the need for global solidarity and shared progress while outlining Pakistan&rsquo;s economic reform efforts during his address at the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh. Sharif opened his remarks by expressing gratitude for the invitation and praised the leadership of Saudi crown prince. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to congratulate my very dear brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for this wonderful event which symbolizes his leadership and his vision to transform societies like he has done in Saudi Arabia,&rdquo; he said. The prime minister highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s economic journey since independence, acknowledging past missteps while reaffirming the country&rsquo;s commitment to change. &ldquo;We have made very honest mistakes and we have learned from our mistakes,&rdquo; Sharif said. &ldquo;Important thing is to learn from your mistakes. That&rsquo;s what we are doing.&rdquo; He noted Pakistan was currently implementing &ldquo;robust changes and deep-rooted reforms,&rdquo; including digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue and strong action against corruption. &ldquo;Rome was not built overnight,&rdquo; he added, emphasizing that structural reforms take time. Sharif also pointed to Pakistan&rsquo;s large youth population, nearly 60% of citizens, as both a challenge and an opportunity. &ldquo;We are offering them training, skill training&hellip; for productive employment,&rdquo; he said. However, Sharif said Pakistan continues to face significant climate vulnerability, despite contributing &ldquo;less than a fraction of one percent&rdquo; to global emissions. Recalling the devastating 2022 floods and subsequent disasters, he said the country suffered $130 billion in economic losses. &ldquo;Large swathes of our land was under water. Crops were destroyed. Millions of houses were destroyed,&rdquo; he said. He argued that repeated reliance on loans to rebuild is unsustainable. &ldquo;Loans over loans, loans over loans, your back will break and you will never be able to stand up,&rdquo; Sharif said. &ldquo;This is not acceptable.&rdquo; Calling for collective global support, Sharif said climate-affected nations must not be left to recover alone. &ldquo;If humanity has to move forward, it has to move forward in unison,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Share modern technologies with those countries which can use those technologies and grow their production.&rdquo; Despite the challenges, Sharif closed on a message of resolve. &ldquo;We are resolved by the grace of God,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We will turn Pakistan as one of the most going countries through hard work&hellip; and make our country stand in the community of nations like a very honorable country.&rdquo; Iran welcomes Pakistan-Saudi Arabia strategic agreementLate on Tuesday, the head of Iran&rsquo;s top security body, Ali Larijani, said that &ldquo;it was a matter of joy for us&rdquo; that a strategic agreement has been finalized between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, stating that the Muslim community needed this &ldquo;brotherhood.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1983247422542233773&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=348a8707f81577bf1f210f674a0762aeef3548a0&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1983247422542233773"></iframe></div></div> &ldquo;We need action and cooperation, not speeches, to resolve the region&#39;s issues,&rdquo; Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council secretary said in a post on X. &nbsp;&ldquo;This agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reflects that very spirit, and we welcome it.&rdquo; Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to launch several strategic and high-impact projects under a new Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative, PM Shehbaz Sharif stresses reforms, youth potential, and climate vulnerability, urging global cooperation beyond loans to support Pakistan’s growth.

Articles tagged with "riyadh"

Pakistan foreign minister to attend Riyadh regional meeting amid escalating Mideast conflict

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss deepening defense cooperation in Riyadh

At Riyadh summit, Pakistan PM presses for shared growth, not more loans