Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad on his first official visit to Pakistan on Thursday, where he was conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan award by President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the crown prince at the Noor Khan Base in Islamad amid rainy weather.
The Crown Prince and his delegation departed from the Base for the Prime Minister’s House, where, upon his arrival, he was accorded a guard of honor at the Prime Minister’s House.
He then proceeded to the Aiwan-i-Sadr, where a special ceremony was held in his honor. During the event, President Asif Ali Zardari presented Sheikh Khalid with the Nishan-e-Pakistan, one of Pakistan’s highest civilian awards.
Upon his arrival
This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the visit, the crown prince will engage in wide-ranging interactions with the leadership of Pakistan, to exchange views on matters of mutual interest, reinforce historical bonds and promote economic as well as investment cooperation.
Several agreements and Memorandums of Understandings will be signed during the visit to bolster existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors.
On Wednesday, Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed multiple agreements on Wednesday aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in defence, technology, technical training, and youth empowerment.
The agreements were signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s two-day visit to Uzbekistan, at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Both countries also agreed to work towards expanding bilateral trade to $2 billion.
Following their bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks, PM Shehbaz and President Mirziyoyev witnessed the signing of several documents. These included agreements and MoUs in various sectors.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov exchanged documents related to visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders, military intelligence, internal affairs, professional and technical training, and the training of diplomats.
