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Pakistans Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman of Islamabads all out support and commitment towards the security of the Kingdom.
The assurance came during a meeting of the Crown Prince with the COAS in Jeddah on Friday. "Pakistan is resolute in its commitment to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and defense of the two Holy mosques," he said. General Bajwa is on a visit to Saudi Arabia to meet the Kingdom's leadership. As per details shared by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, during the meeting with the Saudi leadership, "matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan peace process, bilateral defence, security, collaboration for regional peace and connectivity were discussed". Pakistan has emphasized on the need to further enhance military level cooperation between the two countries. "Pakistan-KSA cooperation will have a positive impact on peace and security in the region," the ISPR added. General Bajwa's trip to Saudi Arabia came ahead of the all-important visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who in the Kingdom on Friday. Experts say the visit of the premier holds major importance, especially after the US announced that it would be stationing itself in neighboring countries after its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Khan has also met the Crown Prince and assured commitment to take the relations towards an upward trajectory. "The talks were marked by exceptional cordiality and a commitment to fortify the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship," the Pakistan Foreign Office said. Pakistan has also emphasised on the need to increase Saudi investments through mutual collaborations and increase in job opportunities for Pakistanis in the Kingdom. Khan also took the opportunity to raise the issue of Kashmir, stating "it was important to work towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute". Khan and the Crown Prime signed an agreement to establish Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC), which has been established with an aim to impart strategic direction to the development of Pakistan-Saudi relations. Other than that, the two sides also witnessed signing of a various bilateral deals, including the agreement on cooperation in the field of combating crimes; agreement on transfer of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals; and framework MoU for the financing of projects worth $500 million in energy, hydropower generation, infrastructure, transport and communication and water resources development. --IANS hamza/ksk/ ( 422 Words) 2021-05-08-15:56:02 (IANS)
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