Pakistan, UAE agree to strengthen strategic partnership
By Sadia Abbasi
ABU DHABI_Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to intensify consultation and coordination geared to strengthening strategic partnership with a view to to developing tangible and meaningful bilateral cooperation in key areas.
The bilateral ties were discussed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s interaction with the UAE leadership as the former paid an official visit to the Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on January 12-13. This was the prime minister’s third visit after assuming office, according to a joint statement issued on Friday.
During the interaction, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation, particularly in the field of information and communication technologies and work together for bridging the digital divide, .
The prime minister held a bilateral meeting with the UAE president wherein the prime minister was presented with a guard of honor at the Presidential Palace.
In the “most warm and cordial” meeting, the two leaders held detailed discussions on concrete measures to strengthen the bilateral relationship while also exchanging views on regional political and security matters.
They also discussed specific initiative to enhance cooperation in political, defense, economic, commercial and cultural areas, developing joint ventures, and strengthening collaboration in the human resource sector.
The prime minister thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for UAE’s generous assistance during the recent floods in Pakistan, particularly through an air bridge established for this purpose.
A delegation of Pakistan Business Council ( UAE) called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday morning in Abu Dhabi.
While talking to the delegation, the Prime Minister said that he was happy to know that Pakistani businessmen were bringing their own and Pakistan’s name to light in the United Arab Emirates through their hard work and experience. The Prime Minister said that his meetings with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates were successful. He further said that his visit would help in turning the friendship between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates into a strategic partnership. He said that the international community made more than expected announcements at the Geneva Conference.
The Prime Minister encouraged the delegation of Pakistan Business Council United Arab Emirates to do business and investment in Pakistan and said that energy, real estate, information technology, alternative energy, food processing, tourism are main components for investment.
He also invited the members of the delegation to come to Pakistan with proposals for investment and business.
The members of the delegation expressed their content over the economic policies of the government and showed their interest in doing business and investment in Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for wand Revenue Mr. Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, government officials and renowned businessmen Iqbal Dawood, Mohammed Nafees, Mustafa Hemani, Saleem Tabani, Mustafa Khawaja, Mustafa Altaf, Ms Anam Baqei, Imran Farooq, Saad Haq and Asif Yusuf zai.
