President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday met the vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the two discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation.
According to the President’s Secretariat, Zardari met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, at Zabeel Palace.
“The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE,” the handout said.
Ït went on to say that President Zardari congratulated the sheikh on his two decades as Dubai’s ruler and “commended Dubai’s remarkable transformation into a global centre for tourism, finance and emerging technologies”.
It further stated that both sides exchanged views on “benefiting from Dubai’s development experience, particularly in ports, logistics, infrastructure, information technology and digital financial services”.
During the meeting, the president also highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing economic reforms, including investment facilitation and privatisation, and explored opportunities for enhanced cooperation with the UAE in infrastructure development, logistics, food security and technology-driven sectors, the handout said.
“President Zardari extended an invitation to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to visit Pakistan,” it added.
It further said that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE and “expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral ties”.
During the meeting, the leaders underscored the importance of high-level exchanges, recalled the recent visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Pakistan, and acknowledged the UAE’s continued support for Pakistan’s economic development, it said.
“They also highlighted the valuable contribution of the Pakistani community in the UAE in strengthening people-to-people links.”
First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE were also present on the occasion, according to the statement.
President Zardari, who is currently on a four-day official visit to the UAE, has held several meetings with the UAE leadership, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
