Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed regional tensions and Islamabad’s role in mediating between the United States and Iran, as diplomatic efforts pick up pace following inconclusive talks in Islamabad last week, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Pakistan has mediated talks on April 11 in Islamabad that marked the most senior direct engagement between US and Iranian officials in more than a decade but ended without a breakthrough.
The two sides remain divided on key issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and the future of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route that Tehran has blocked since Israel and the US went to war with it in late February.
Since the talks ended, efforts have continued to revive dialogue, with Pakistan facilitating contact between Washington and Tehran and exchanging messages amid a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month.
“The Crown Prince appreciated the constructive role of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in the peace process,” PM’s Office said in a statement released in Islamabad early Thursday after he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.
Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is currently on a separate visit to Tehran in continuation of the Islamabad peae process.
Saudi Arabia’s support to Pakistan’s mediation efforts underscores its broader interest in regional stability at a time when tensions have threatened energy supplies and shipping routes, while Pakistan has sought to leverage its diplomatic role to raise its global profile.
During the meeting with the Crown Prince which lasted nearly two hours, Shehbaz Sharif expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia following recent missile and drone attacks linked to the Iran conflict that have targeted energy infrastructure and caused casualties in the Kingdom, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Pakistan’s economic situation and ongoing Saudi support for the country’s financial stability, the statement said.
Riyadh this week agreed to provide an additional $3 billion deposit and extend an existing $5 billion facility to support Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves and ease debt repayment pressures.
The move underlines a deepening relationship between Riyadh and Islamabad, cemented last year by a mutual defence pact treating aggression against either as an attack on both.
According to the PMO statement, the two leaders held detailed discussions on the evolving regional situation.
The Prime Minister conveyed deep condolences over the loss of precious lives and said the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with their Saudi brethren. He appreciated the exemplary patience and restraint shown by Saudi Arabia.
The Prime Minister shared with the Crown Prince the recent developments related to Pakistan's peace efforts, which led to the US-Iran ceasefire and the recently held round of historic talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad.
The Prime Minister also highlighted that Pakistan and the Kingdom enjoyed a unique relationship as they are both strategic defence partners under the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.
Both leaders expressed their shared commitment to continuing close cooperation on matters of mutual interest.