ISLAMABAD - Next investment in Pakistan will be of bigger volume, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told Pakistan before leaving the country here on Monday.
The Saudi Crown Prince completed his two-day visit and pledged more than $20 billion investments.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Saudi Arabia is investing $20 billion in various sectors of Pakistan in the first phase.
Speaking at a joint news conference along with Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir in Islamabad on Monday, he said seven MoUs have been signed with Saudi side and more will be signed soon.
Qureshi appreciated Saudi acceptance of Pakistan’s long-standing demand of reduction in visa fee for Pakistani nationals. He said reduction in visa fee for Pakistanis will facilitate the people who will proceed to Saudi Arabia for various purposes.
He said it had been decided to set up a Supreme Consultative Coordination Council to ensure structured institutionalized mechanism with regard to the implementation of Memorendums of Understanding.
He said the council will make action plan and oversee progress on the implementation of the MoUs.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested the Saudi Crown Prince to look into the issue of providing facilities to Pakistani pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani citizens detained in Saudi jails and hopefully there will be an encouraging response from the Saudi side.
Speaking on the occasion, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said relations with Pakistan are improving at every level. He said Saudi Arabia is extending cooperation to Pakistan in various projects.
He said we want to see Pakistan as an economically stable and viable country.
Adel al-Jubeir said “We want to participate in Pakistan’s economic growth and share the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to take his country to new heights.”
He said, “Our investment in Pakistan is not charity and it is for mutual benefit of both the countries and their people.”
The Saudi Minister said they have deep and historical relations with Pakistan. He said there is a strong people to people cooperation between both the countries.
Replying to a question, he said terrorism is a common enemy and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are on the same page to eradicate this menace.
On the Pak-India relations, he said, “we want both the countries to resolve their conflicts and have peaceful relations.”