ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to further improve their economic linkages and expand their bilateral relations in new areas.

The understanding came at a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Later addressing a joint news conference, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister said both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed strong bonds. “This fraternal relationship goes beyond many decades,” he said.

Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud said the establishment of Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council was an important milestone to take the bilateral relationships between the two countries to new levels and explore new opportunities of cooperation.

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He said both the countries would encourage their business community to interact more frequently to further strengthen the economic relations.

He said his country valued the contributions made by Pakistani community in the economy of the Kingdom. He said during talks with his Pakistani counterpart, they discussed more opportunities for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia.

Alluding to the commonality of views on regional issues, the Saudi Foreign Minister said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to continue to work together including on Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Yemen to facilitate regional peace and stability.

In his remarks on the occasion, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the talks primarily focused on promoting bilateral trade and investment.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the two sides have made a good progress towards the activation of Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council. He said there will be focal persons in both the countries to oversee progress on this front.

He said there are immense opportunities for Saudi Arabia for investment in SEZs under the CPEC. He said our skilled, semi-skilled workforce and professionals can also make significant contributions to the Saudi vision 2030.

The FM said Pakistan looked forward to expand relations with Saudi Arabia in the areas of culture, information, media, entertainment and sports.

He thanked Saudi Arabia for supporting Pakistan in the FATF. He said Saudi Arabia was also part of OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Kingdom has been supportive and has shown clarity in supporting Pakistan on the disputed territory.