Islamabad: Pakistan is determined to further build up deep-rooted historic and fraternal ties with Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday.
Qureshi made the remarks during a meeting here with Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmed Al-Malki, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, reports Xinhua news agency.
The two sides exchanged views on important bilateral, regional and international developments during the meeting, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s support and solidarity with Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity, said the statement.
Last month, Qureshi had criticised the Saudi government in a TV interview and threatened to sidestep the Kingdom by calling an OIC meet.
Qureshi had said, “Today, I am telling the OIC to convene the meeting of the council of foreign ministers. If they cannot do it, then I will be compelled to ask the prime minister [Imran Khan] to call a meeting of Islamic countries [Iran, Turkey and Malaysia] that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir.”
While the Saudis did not respond directly to Qureshi’s remarks, they did stop renewing an oil credit of $3.2 billion to Pakistan and also demanded the repayment of a loan given to Islamabad in 2018 after a visit from Prime Minister Imran Khan.
