President Zardari, PM Shehbaz receive Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed upon his arrival in Islamabad
Ansar M Bhatti
ISLAMABAD: The government and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday signed five accords to boost bilateral cooperation in different fields on the occasion of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s first official visit to Pakistan.
Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there.
The documents were signed in different fields, including banking, railways, mining and infrastructural investment. The crown prince and the prime minister witnessed the ceremony as officials from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding for cooperation in various fields.
Federal cabinet members, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir and members of the UAE delegation were also present.
“We held the most fruitful discussions and resolved to further strengthen our excellent bilateral ties, through enhanced trade, investment & energy cooperation. With the encouragement and support of the UAE’s royal family, Pakistan-UAE ties are growing from strength to strength!” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.
Upon his arrival at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, the Abu Dhabi crown prince was presented with a guard of honour by a contingent of the armed forces, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
The national anthems of both countries were played, while a cultural troupe representing all four provinces also performed on the occasion.
The crown prince landed earlier today at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase as he began his one-day official visit, which is focused on investment and economic cooperation.
He was received by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari. Other cabinet members, along with senior diplomatic and government officials, were present as well.
Prince Khaled shook hands with the president, the premier, and the deputy PM as they greeted him, while two children clad in traditional dress presented him with bouquets.
The venue was decorated with the flags of Pakistan and the UAE while a group of kids also welcomed the dignitary by waving the flags of both countries.
The crown prince is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers and senior officials, as well as prominent business leaders.
Pakistan and the UAE are set to sign several agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during the visit to “bolster [the] existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors”, according to the Foreign Office (FO).
PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari received the Gulf nation’s top leader in the federal capital.
President Zardari conferred the “Nishan-e-Pakistan” on the Abu Dhabi crown prince in recognition of his services for bringing the two nations closer and taking Pak-UAE ties to new heights.
The top civilian award was conferred on the crown prince at a special investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and attended by PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani parliamentarians, diplomats, and senior officers.
