Washington “encourages” such diplomatic exchanges, the US stated on Wednesday in support of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s (MBS) visit to Pakistan.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We always support diplomatic engagement between our partners […] it’s a routine kind of diplomatic engagement and is something that we support and encourage,” at a press conference in Washington.
His comments follow on the heels of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s confirmation the previous day that the Saudi monarch’s eagerly awaited visit to Pakistan was “on the cards” and that the kingdom would likely provide the exact dates of the visit later this month.
“Insha’Allah, the visit is scheduled, and I think we could hear the final dates from Saudi Arabia at any point in May.”
According to FM Dar, the crown prince told PM Shehbaz during his visit to the Kingdom during Ramadan that he will come to Pakistan following preliminary discussions between Pakistani and Saudi officials.
On May 5 and 6, a high-level Saudi trade mission consisting of 50 members was led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Almubarak. The delegation’s goal was to explore different trade and investment opportunities in order to enhance and advance bilateral relations.
