Khaberni - Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, met today with Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Jeddah, marking his second visit within a short time span of no longer than a month to Saudi Arabia, which shares a joint strategic defense agreement with Pakistan.
The meeting explored the prospects of bilateral relations and existing cooperation between the two countries, and the opportunities to further develop these in various fields. Additionally, the Crown Prince commended the efforts made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan to enhance growth aspects in Pakistan and to develop the strategic partnership between the two nations.
The discussions also covered the latest developments in regional and international events, particularly the situation in the region and updates related to the talks between America and Iran, which are hosted by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. They emphasized the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring stability to the region. In this context, the Crown Prince highlighted the efforts of the Prime Minister and General Asim Munir, Commander of the Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan.
Earlier, sources from "Al-Arabiya.net" mentioned that Prime Minister Sharif's visit to Saudi Arabia would discuss ways to calm tensions in the region, alongside discussions about the negotiations between America and Iran which took place in Islamabad without significant progress. At the time, Pakistan invited both parties to host a second round after the first failed, to end the conflict in the region that started on February 28, with American-Israeli strikes against Tehran.
Concurrently, Saudi Arabia reaffirms its support for Pakistan's mediation efforts to achieve a permanent agreement that secures peace and stability, handling all matters according to the foreign ministry's statement. Riyadh hopes that the ceasefire between the two parties, facilitated by Islamabad, offers a chance to achieve comprehensive and lasting calm, enhancing regional security and ending any aggressions or policies affecting the sovereignty of the regional states.
Pakistan has intensified its mediation role to establish a two-week ceasefire between America and Iran, which started about 8 days ago, on April 7. This brought the conflicting parties to the same table at the highest level of direct negotiations between the countries since the Iranian revolution in 1979.
In return for the visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Asim Munir, the Pakistani Army Chief, reached Iran to convey an American message, alongside planning a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran. Meanwhile, an Iranian source said the visit of the Pakistani Army Chief aimed to "narrow the gap" between the two sides and prevent the resumption of war, according to Reuters.
