UAE Crown Prince to visit Pakistan on Thursday to 'strengthen bonds'

Islamabad [Pakistan], Jan 1 (ANI): Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will arrive in Islamabad on Thursday on a day-long visit 'to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two brotherly countries.'
According to a statement by the UAE Ambassador in Islamabad, the Crown Prince, during the visit, will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan "to discuss the ways to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries," reported Dawn.
In addition, the views on "matters of mutual interest and the regional and global situation" will also be discussed.
The UAE Crown Prince's visit comes after Saudi's Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud visited Pakistan last week and took Pakistani leadership into confidence over the issue of Kuala Lumpur summit.
Malaysia had hosted an 'Islamic summit' in Kuala Lumpur, earlier this month, but Pakistan did not participate in it and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad was alone to address the meeting, which was held to discuss the problems faced by the Muslim Ummah.
Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Pakistan had failed to take part in the summit because of Saudi Arabia's threats of economic sanctions.
According to media reports, Erdogan said that Pakistan had to comply with the Saudi wishes "due to its economic difficulties".
However, Pakistan denied allegations of Saudi's pressure for the non-participation in Kuala Lumpur Summit.
The UAE Crown Prince had last visited Pakistan on January 6 in 2019, just weeks after his country offered USD 3 billion to support Pakistan's battered economy.
The UAE Crown Prince's visit, which is part of growing exchanges between Pakistan and Arab countries, will take place less than a week after Emirati Minister for Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mabarak Al-Nahyan met the premier and President Arif Alvi to discuss possibilities of expanding bilateral ties. (ANI)