The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia held a telephonic conversation on Wednesday in what appears to be an effort by the two sides to ease the recent friction in their relationship stemming from differences on certain issues.
An official handout issued by the Foreign Office after the phone call between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud portrayed a positive outlook of the bilateral relationship.
The two foreign ministers, the statement read, exchanged views on “bilateral relations, regional situation and issues of common interest”.
Qureshi underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had “historic and deep-rooted fraternal ties” having withstood the test of time.
He appreciated the consistent support of the Kingdom to Pakistan, especially in its hour of need, and steadfast solidarity on the Kashmir cause.
Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi foreign minister reciprocated the warm feelings and termed Pakistan a close brotherly country.
The two foreign ministers agreed to enhance bilateral ties and continue close collaboration on all issues of mutual interest.
Although Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have remained strategic partners, the relationship between the two countries has seen certain hiccups in recent times.
In the latest of such developments, Pakistan expressed its concerns that Saudi Arabia, which has a central role in the Muslim world, did not play a more proactive role on the issue of longstanding Kashmir dispute, particularly after India revoked its special status in August 2019.
In August this year, Qureshi went public with Pakistan’s frustration by stating that Pakistan could convene meeting of foreign ministers of like-minded countries from the OIC on the issue without Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan has long been seeking an exclusive meeting of OIC foreign ministers on the Kashmir dispute. The meeting, however, could not materialise as Riyadh was apparently reluctant to back the proposal given its strong economic ties with India.
Prior to Qureshi’s statement, Pakistan also quietly returned a $1 billion loan to Saudi Arabia ahead of schedule. Officials later played down the development, insisting that Islamabad returned the loan in order to help Saudi Arabia deal with its economic situation in the wake of Covid-19.
It is believed that Saudi Arabia is apparently upset over Pakistan’s close alliance with Turkey, Malaysia and possibly with Iran as China is expanding its influence in the region.
Pakistan is trying to balance its relationship as on one hand it considers Saudi Arabia a key strategic partner but at the same views support of Turkey, Malaysia and Iran important since those countries publicly backed Islamabad on the Kashmir dispute.
Wednesday’s conversation between the Pakistani and Saudi Foreign Ministers suggests that the two sides are trying to sort out their differences.
Some sources claim that the Saudi foreign minister might undertake a visit to Pakistan. However, that will depend on the coronavirus situation.
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