PM chairs high-level meeting on Saudi crown prince's visit to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday chaired a high-level preparatory meeting on the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Pakistan starting February 16, a statement from the PM House said.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers of finance, information and petroleum division, Adviser to PM on Commerce, Special Assistant to PM Yousuf Bajg Mirza, Special Assistant to PM Iftikhar Durrani, foreign secretary, secretary information, secretary interior, secretary finance, Board of Investment (BOI) chairman and other senior officials, according to the statement.

Corps commander Rawalpindi, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor were also present at the meeting.

The forum discussed security and arrangements for the Saudi crown prince's visit, the statement said.

The meeting decided to give a historic welcome to the Saudi crown prince and his delegation. The Prime Minister told the participants that the present-day Pakistan was providing maximum opportunities to foreign investors. He said that all possible facilities would be provided to promotion of investment and business in the country.

Khan said the government was ensuring provision of all necessary facilities for business and visas. He said the country would play its role for durable peace in the region, adding this was the new Pakistan where the whole world was witnessing.

The Saudi crown prince will arrive in Pakistan on February 16 for a two-day visit, according to the Saudi ambassador, and is expected to stay at the PM House.

During his stay, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be signing a number of agreements and MoUs related to diverse sectors, including investment, finance, power, renewable energy, internal security, media, culture and sports.

The two countries will also discuss ways and means to develop a robust follow-up mechanism to ensure effective implementation and quick progress on tangible areas of cooperation.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said a high-powered Saudi delegation including key ministers and over 20 businessmen from leading companies would hold meetings with their counterparts in Pakistan and discuss the potential of bigger investment between the two countries.

He added that a Pak-Saudi Coordination Council would be set up following the visit, whereas PM Khan would personally lead monitoring of the implementation of MoUs.