Asia Pacific
09:40, 18-Feb-2019
Saudi crown prince starts Asia tour, signs 20 billion U.S. dollars in deals with Pakistan
Updated
18:01, 18-Feb-2019
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Sunday signed with Pakistan eight agreements worth 20 billion U.S. dollars, Al Arabiya TV reported.
One of the agreements is about Saudi Arabia's Aramco-run refinery in the Pakistani port of Gwadar, one of the world's largest refineries, at a value of 10 billion U.S. dollars.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) reviews a guard of honor at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, February 17, 2019. /VCG Photo
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) reviews a guard of honor at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, February 17, 2019. /VCG Photo
"Pakistan is a dear country to the Saudi people and we will be partners as we have always been," Al Arabiya quoted the Saudi crown prince as saying.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are working together to expand economic partnership, particularly in the tourism sector, he added.
The Saudi crown prince is currently on a two-day official visit to Pakistan, the first leg of his Asian tour starting on Sunday. He is scheduled to visit China and India later.
Saudi vows to 'de-escalate' India-Pakistan tensions after Kashmir attack
Saudi Arabia vowed to "de-escalate" rising tensions between Pakistan and India during a high-profile summit in Islamabad Monday as Saudi crown prince prepares to travel from Islamabad to New Delhi.
The kingdom's foreign minister spoke at a press conference in Islamabad as Pakistan recalled its envoy from New Delhi for "consultations".
New Delhi has vowed to retaliate after a suicide blast which killed 40 Indian paramilitary police personnel in Kashmir on Thursday, the deadliest attack in the disputed Himalayan region in decades.
The attack has sparked widespread calls in India for action against Pakistan.
"Our objective is to try to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, neighboring countries, and to see if there is a path forward to resolving those differences peacefully," said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
The pledge came as the crown prince, widely known as "MBS", prepared to head to India later Monday, at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Pakistan.
(With inputs from Xinhua, AFP)