ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia expressed its hope on Monday for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue on the basis of UN resolutions to reinforce peace and stability in the region.
It also welcomed positive developments in Indo-Pak relations, according to a joint communiqué issued in Islamabad at the end of the visit of Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.
The talks in Islamabad showed the desire of two sides to strengthen cooperation in various fields to support Islamic causes and promote global peace and stability, the communique said. The two countries wanted to expand cooperation in investment, trade, energy, infrastructure and agriculture.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also wanted to expand defense cooperation and promote political consultations, the communiqué said. The two sides intend to sign new agreements in labor, work force, investment protection, sports, Islamic affairs and endowments.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia signed on Monday two agreements worth $182 million to aid development projects in Pakistan. Crown Prince Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif witnessed the signing at the PM House in Islamabad.
Yousef Al-Bassam, vice chairman and managing director of the Saudi Fund for Development, and Nargis Sethi, Pakistan’s secretary for economic affairs, signed the agreements. The first agreement will see Saudi Arabia provide a loan of $57.8 million for the construction of the 106 MW Golen Gol hydropower project on the River Mastuj in Chitral.
The second was to finance the import of urea fertilizer worth $125 million from the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation.
Earlier, the crown prince held talks with Pakistani defense officials to explore areas of cooperation. He had separate meetings with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Rashad Mahmood and Army Chief Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif in Islamabad.
Prince Salman had second round of talks with Sharif on Monday. The Pakistan side included adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Sartaj Aziz, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid and Minister of Defense Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.
The crown prince left Pakistan for Japan on Monday night. Visits to India and the Maldives also figure on his itinerary.