Strategic Defense Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visits Riyadh

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a weekly briefing that Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. A high-level delegation was also present on the occasion.

According to the spokesperson, formal talks were held between the Prime Minister and the Saudi Crown Prince at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, in which the historical and strategic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were discussed. The Prime Minister also expressed his best wishes for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

It was informed in the briefing that a strategic joint defense agreement was signed between the two countries, according to which aggression against one country will be considered aggression against both.  According to the Foreign Office, this agreement is purely defensive in nature, not against any third country but for peace and stability in the region.

On this occasion, the spokesperson further said that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended the OIC meeting in Doha and expressed full solidarity with Muslim countries by condemning the Israeli attack on Qatar.

The Foreign Office said that Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir also visited Qatar and strongly condemned Israel’s aggression.

On the other hand, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is currently on a visit to China where he is meeting various leaders and signing MoUs in several sectors, including the education sector.