PM holds talks with UAE president on phone

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday welcomed the UAE’s recent announcement to invest $1 billion in various economic and investment sectors in Pakistan. The prime minister expressed these views as he held a telephonic conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Earlier on Sunday, the prime minister in a tweet thanked the UAE president for the investment his country was going to make in Pakistan’s various sectors.

PM Sharif highlighted the generous support extended by the UAE to Pakistan over the years, the PM Office said in a statement issued here.

During the telephonic conversation, the two leaders exchanged views on matters of common interest.

Reaffirming the close fraternal ties between the two countries, they agreed to work closely to further enhance bilateral cooperation in different fields.

The prime minister offered his condolences on the damage caused by the recent floods in the Emirates, resulting in loss of precious lives including Pakistani nationals. He also expressed his deepest sympathies with the Emirati brethren.

The UAE president also extended heartfelt commiseration on the loss of precious lives in floods in Pakistan as well as on the martyrdom of army personnel in the recent helicopter crash.

Recalling the decisions taken during the visit of the prime minister to the UAE in April 2022, the two leaders reviewed the progress and resolved to further strengthen trade and economic ties with particular focus on accelerating cooperation and building partnerships in areas comprising investments, energy and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, while appreciating Italy’s support in the context of European Union’s preferential trading GSP Plus scheme, stressed to further enhance trade and investment relations between Pakistan and Italy.

He termed Italy a close friend of Pakistan and a reliable partner, both bilaterally and in the EU context.

The prime minister received Ambassador of Italy in Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister further observed that Pakistan-Italy relations are marked by growing bilateral cooperation as well as commonality of views on a whole range of regional and global issues. He said Pakistan would be particularly interested in collaborations in the renewable energy sector in which Italy had made remarkable progress.

The prime minister also highlighted the immense cooperation that Pakistan continued to extend to the international community in the wake of situation in Afghanistan, particularly since August last year.

The Italian ambassador thanked the prime minister for receiving him and expressed his resolve to increase and diversify the existing ties between the two countries.