KING ABDULLAH SHOWS SOLIDARITY WITH PAKISTAN OVER SIACHIN TRAGEDY

PRIME MINISTER’S HOUSE(MEDIA OFFICE)

KING ABDULLAH SHOWS SOLIDARITY WITH PAKISTAN OVER SIACHIN TRAGEDY

Islamabad: April 10, 2012
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia met Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at the Prime Minister’s House today and discussed a range of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over the strong brotherly relations between the two countries and hoped that Deputy Foreign Minister’s visit to Pakistan would further bolster the existing relations in the future.
 Both sides agreed to a settlement leading to peace and stability in Afghanistan as well as in the region.
 The Prime Minister highly appreciated the relief assistance extended by Saudi Arabia during floods and earthquake. The Prime Minister particularly lauded the appeal launched by Khadim-e-Hariman-Sharifain to raise funds for the floods victims in Pakistan. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of convening of the Joint Ministerial meeting to work out mechanism to give impetus to trade compatible with the exemplary relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister also said that he would send a delegation of Pakistani businessmen to Saudi Arabia to explore new vistas of enhancing trade relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of enhancing people to people contacts between the two countries which include exchange of visits of parliamentarians and officials to take the brotherly relationship to new heights. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz expressed his concerns on behalf of the King, the government and people of Saudi Arabia on the tragedy in Siachen and offered all-out  help to the Pakistani brothers in such difficult times. The Deputy Foreign Minister conveyed the best wishes of Khadim-e-Hariman-Sharifan to the Prime Minister which the Prime Minister acknowledged with gratitude.

The Prime Minister and the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister also held one on one meeting.

Those who were present during the bilateral meeting were Choudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Minister for Defence, Mrs. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Rehman Malik, Minister for Interior, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Asim Hussain, Minister for Petroleum, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Foreign Secretary and other officials.

The Saudi side included Saudi Delegation included Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Ibrahim Al-Ghadeer, Saudi Ambassador, Mr. Faisal Hashmim, Assistant Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs and Mr. Daham Al-Daham, Minister Plenipotentiary.