RAWALPINDI: On Wednesday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, focusing on strengthening defence and security cooperation between the two countries, according to the military’s media wing.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the Saudi Crown Prince warmly welcomed COAS Munir at the Royal Palace. General Munir is currently in Saudi Arabia on an official visit. Both leaders engaged in a comprehensive discussion on mutual interests, including regional peace and security, and strategies to deepen their bilateral relations.
During their meeting, COAS Munir thanked the Saudi Crown Prince for his “steadfast support” for Pakistan. He also acknowledged the Crown Prince’s significant role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
In a separate meeting, COAS Munir met with Prince Khalid Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing defence and security cooperation between their nations.
Additionally, General Munir had discussions with senior Saudi military officials, including Engineer Talal Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Assistant Minister of Defence, and Air Chief Marshal Fayyadh Bin Hamed Bin Raqeeb’ Al Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces. He also met Lieutenant General Fahad bin Saud Al-Johani, Chief of Royal Saudi Land Forces.
This visit followed closely after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s trip to Saudi Arabia. During the Prime Minister’s visit, he attended the eighth session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). The Prime Minister also met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to review the progress of their bilateral engagements. The two leaders discussed the implementation of decisions made during their earlier meetings in Makkah and Riyadh earlier this year.
During Prime Minister Sharif’s visit, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced an additional $600 million to its already pledged $2.2 billion investment in Pakistan. Last month, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth over $2 billion to boost trade and investment. This agreement came during the Islamabad visit of a Saudi delegation led by Minister for Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih.
This visit by COAS General Asim Munir reflects the growing strength of defence ties and cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which continue to evolve in the realms of regional security and economic partnership.
