Summary Maldives' Foreign Minister met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at PM House.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Maldives and these relations are based on cordiality and common interests.
The Prime Minister said this while meeting Dunya Maumoon, the Foreign Minister of Maldives, who called on the Prime Minister at PM House today (Thursday).
The Prime Minister said that both the countries need to benefit from the vast potential in the area of trade, and Pakistan would continue to support Maldives under Special Assistance Programme for South Asia.
Pakistan has been successfully waging a relentless war against terrorism and the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb has produced positive results, added the Prime Minister.
He emphasized that Pakistan supports and will extend all possible cooperation to the initiatives of neighbouring countries to curb and eliminate the menace of terrorism. Pakistan and Maldives need to specifically enhance their cooperation in the field of tourism to benefit from the huge potential in this regard, said the Prime Minister.
Dunya Maumoon extended invitation to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to visit Maldives and delivered the letter of the President Maldives on the occasion.
The Foreign Minister thanked the Prime Minister for Pakistan’s continued support to Maldives.
Earlier today, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, received her at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Special Assistant extended a warm welcome to the visiting Foreign Minister and her delegation to Pakistan. He stated that Pakistan and Maldives enjoyed brotherly relations, which have flourished over the past decades.
The Special Assistant observed that the bilateral trade between the two countries was below its true potential, and was also not commensurate with close political ties. There was a need for both countries to enhance the economic and trade relations. He also emphasized the need for cooperation in the tourism sector. Both dignitaries agreed that development of communication links was an essential step towards enhancing the bilateral trade.
She appreciated the support of Pakistan to Maldives at various regional and multilateral fora.
The Foreign Minister also stressed that both Pakistan and Maldives were playing a proactive role to make SAARC a useful vehicle for regional cooperation, based on the principles of sovereign equality. She emphasized that both countries must continue to use the forum for the betterment of their peoples.
Other issues of bilateral and regional interest were also discussed in a warm and cordial atmosphere.
