PM Nawaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia

PM Nawaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia

Shiite News: PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to pay a three days’ official visit to Saudi Arabia from March 9.

Although the visit has not been officially announced yet, but multiple government sources confirmed that PM planned to visit Saudi Arabia from March 9 to 11. During the visit, the prime minister is likely to meet Saudi King Shah Salman. He might also attend the inaugural summit of the 34-nation military alliance which Saudi Arabia has announced for fighting terrorism, which is expected to take place on March 10.

The prime minister is making the trip ahead of a planned visit of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Islamabad that is likely after March 20. The dates for Mr Rouhani’s visit have not been finalized yet. Pakistan and Iran have a history of cancelling visits due to regional issues and at least two trips were called off during the past couple of months.

Mr Sharif visited both Riyadh and Tehran in January when tension between the two states was at its height. It was dubbed as a ‘mediation trip’. The Iranian leadership welcomed the initiative, while Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir apparently spurned it in a later statement, saying: “A lot of countries have offered mediation and delivered ideas between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but there is no need for this.”

The issues Mr Sharif would possibly discuss with Saudi leaders during his stay in Riyadh include Pakistan’s role in the 34-nation military alliance; Saudi Arabia’s financial assistance and planned investment in Pakistan; regional issues and other facets of bilateral ties.