Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia shortly, the Foreign Office said. Without giving further details about the visit, Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal Thursday told his weekly media briefing that Imran Khan will soon visit Saudi Arabia.
In his first foreign visit as the prime minister, sources said, Khan would meet top Saudi leadership, including King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to discuss strengthening of bilateral ties and mutual cooperation in various areas such as trade and economy, defense and people-to-people contacts. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Khan will also perform Umrah.
The sources said that Khan is expected to visit the Kingdom next week and dates are being finalized in this regard. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on August 12 congratulated Khan on his party's recent electoral victory and expressed the Kingdom's interest in investing "heavily" in a bid to strengthen its trade ties with Pakistan.
On August 19, Prime Minister Khan in his address to the nation expressed his government's desire to strengthen bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, indicating that efforts will be made for reconciliation between Riyadh and Tehran with a view to end the conflict in the Middle East.
"We want to improve ties with Iran. Saudi Arabia is a friend who has always stood by us in difficult times. Our aim will be whatever we can do for conciliation in the Middle East, we want to play that role. There are tensions between neighbours and we will try to bring them together," he added.