LOC20:40
17:40 GMT
Premier Jamali left for Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (KUNA) -- Pakistans Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan
Jamali, after securing a mandatory vote of confidence by obtaining 188 votes
in the 342-seat in the special session of the parliament Monday left for Saudi
Arabia for a five-day visit.
A foreign office official talking to KUNA here said, "During his meetings
with the royal Saudi leadership, the Prime Minister will review bilateral
matters and apprise the Saudi leadership of the latest position in
Pakistan-India relations, and developments in and around the Middle East and
Afghanistan."
This is Jamalis first visit to Saudi Arabia as prime minister. He was
accompanied by the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Noraiz Shakoor
Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Mansoor Hamid, Adviser to the
Premier on Finance Shaukat Aziz and other senior officials.
During the visit, the prime minister will meet with King Fahd bin Abdul
Aziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and other Saudi
ministers. He is also to perform Umrah and visit Madinah Munawwara for
Ziarat.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have traditionally close and brotherly relations
with regular high-level consultations are a distinguishing feature of this
friendship. The government and the people of Pakistan attach the highest
importance to their fraternal and friendly ties with Saudi Arabia, said the
official The Kingdom has always shared with Pakistan identical views and takes
common positions on regional and international issues, he said.
Continuation of the Saudi Oil Facility (SOF) and project financing for
various strategic development plans is likely to top the agenda of Prime
Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on his first 5-day visit to the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia offered this special facility after nuclear tests of May 1998,
as a very friendly gesture, at a time when the whole world, led by the United
States, imposed all sorts of sanctions. The initial scope of this oil facility
was for two years, which was later on extended on the request of President
General Pervez Musharraf.
The Ministry of Finance expects that this oil grant would remain available
till 2004, to help cover the financing gap under the Poverty Reduction and
Growth Facility of the International Monetary Fund.
Import of fuel oil constitutes almost one-fourth of the total import bill
of the country. However, provision of the SOF, and oil import arrangement with
Kuwait, helped Pakistan in recent years to meet its growing domestic needs of
18 million tons, without putting extra strains on the external sector.
As part of a long-term strategy to explore new oil and gas resources, the
government desperately needs gas supplies from the major producers in the
Central Asia, Iran and may be in the Gulf region as well.
The signing of trilateral framework agreement for construction of 1500-km
Trans-Afghan gas pipeline would also be discussed with the Saudi authorities.
Saudi Arabia, being one of the largest oil producers, had keen interest in any
such developments around the world, which could hamper its own future earning
capacity.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had shown close cooperation over the Gulf crisis
in the past. Since the appalling situation of the region could erupt into an
outright war any moment, two sides might also be tempted to workout some
arrangements on bilateral basis. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have some
cooperation in strategic matters, including cooperation in the defense
production areas. (end)
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KUNA 302040 Dec 02NNNN