By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan has been postponed while the new dates for his trip to the country would be mutually finalized by both sides.
The Saudi crown prince was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on November 21 on his second official trip to the country.
“The visit (of the crown prince) is being rescheduled. The new dates will be mutually finalized by the two sides,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson, said in a statement.
Separately, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said in a video message that the Saudi crown prince would always be treated as an honoured guest of Pakistan whenever he arrives in the country.
“I would request all friends not to be influenced by rumours and propaganda and consider the facts,” Ashrafi said. “This visit is not being postponed due to Pakistan’s external matters but the Saudi crown prince has delayed it according to his schedule and program.”
Ashrafi said the Saudi crown prince would soon visit Pakistan and the people of the South Asian country would receive him warmly.
During the crown prince first visit in 2019, the two countries signed investment deals worth $21 billion, including for an oil refinery.
Saudi Arabia has recently “given a positive response” to Pakistan’s request for an additional $3 billion in funding and doubling of its deferred oil facility to $1.2 billion.
The kingdom has also agreed a joint venture with China to build a $10 billion refinery and petrochemical complex on Pakistan’s southwestern coast, nearly three years after the project was shelved.
During the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the Kingdom in April, Saudi Arabia extended an oil loan facility to Pakistan and also rolled over $3 billion deposits to help support its foreign currency reserves.
The two countries then also agreed to work to further augment and diversify their bilateral ties, particularly in trade, investment and employment generation opportunities.
They also discussed exploring possibilities to sell out two RLNG power plants and the possibility of making investment in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
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