Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was welcomed with a guard of honour at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad on Thursday as he arrived on his 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.
Upon his arrival at the PM House, 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).
“These commitments are expected to open new opportunities for joint ventures and projects aimed at furthering economic cooperation between both the countries and their peoples,” the FO said yesterday.
It added that the crown prince would engage with the Pakistani leadership on matters of mutual interest while reinforcing historical ties and fostering economic and investment cooperation.
“This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the FO highlighted.
“Pakistan and the UAE have always enjoyed a relationship characterised by mutual respect, trust, and shared aspirations,” it said.
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The FO noted that the crown prince’s visit “demonstrated both countries’ commitment to “elevate the mutual cooperation, reflective of growing partnership and robust people-to-people linkages”.
Pakistan and the UAE witnessed a high-level interaction on February 11, when PM Shehbaz met with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi. The premier was visiting the Gulf country to present Pakistan’s case for climate finance at the World Governments Summit.
More to follow
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