RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties, the military’s media wing reported on Wednesday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed that the Saudi crown prince warmly welcomed COAS Munir upon his arrival at the Royal Palace for his official visit to Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, both leaders held an in-depth discussion on regional peace, defense and security cooperation, and strategies to further enhance bilateral relations.
COAS Munir expressed his gratitude for the Crown Prince’s unwavering support for Pakistan and acknowledged his vital role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
In a separate engagement, the army chief also met with Prince Khalid Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense and security collaboration.
Additional meetings were held with senior Saudi officials, including Engineer Talal Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Assistant Minister of Defense; Air Chief Marshal Fayyadh Bin Hamed Bin Raqeeb Al Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces; and Lieutenant General Fahad bin Saud Al-Johani, Chief of Royal Saudi Land Forces.
This meeting follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, where he participated in the eighth session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) and held discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about bilateral engagements, including progress on decisions made in April during high-level talks in Makkah and Riyadh.
During the Prime Minister’s visit, Saudi Arabia announced an additional $600 million investment in Pakistan, following its previous $2.2 billion commitment. Additionally, last month, Islamabad and Riyadh signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth over $2 billion to enhance bilateral trade and investment during a visit by a Saudi delegation.
