Mecca: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday began talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the prime minister of his country, at Al-Safa Palace in the holy city of Mecca, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing local media.
According to Nam News Network, Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, as reported by Radio Pakistan. The discussions between Sharif and Prince Mohammed were expected to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation, as well as addressing regional and international developments.
Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and the visit primarily aims to address issues related to bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Upon his arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Sharif was welcomed by Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor of the Mecca region. Earlier in the day, Sharif performed Umrah in Mecca.
The visit is significant as Islamabad is actively engaged in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran. In June, Qatar joined Pakistan in these mediation efforts, leading to a memorandum of understanding signed on June 18 and the commencement of negotiations toward a final agreement. However, these negotiations later faced challenges due to disagreements related to maritime security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these challenges, officials from Iran, Oman, and the US have recently indicated progress in resolving the issues.
In a related development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also arrived in Saudi Arabia for a one-day working visit on Friday. Erdogan is expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Sharif during his visit. Details about the agenda of these meetings were not immediately available.
This visit follows Pakistan's recent entry into a new Saudi-led Red Sea naval coalition, aiming to secure the waters from potential attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Additionally, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September of the previous year.