Saudi Crown Prince Sultan arrives in Pakistan

Apr 15, 2006, 14:59 GMT

Islamabad - Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdu Aziz al-Saud arrived in Islamabad Saturday for talks with Pakistani leaders on forging close cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, security and defence.

President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz went to the air force base in the garrison town of Rawalpindi to receive the Saudi Crown Prince.

This is Saud's first visit to Pakistan since assuming the office of the Saudi Crown Prince last year.

Bilateral trade currently stands at 2.83 billion dollars as Pakistan imports most of its oil from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia supplied oil to Pakistan at highly subsidized rates for over five years to ward off the impact of sanctions imposed by the US, Japan and Western countries to discipline the country for its nuclear detonations in May 1998.

Saud's visit takes place to the backdrop of local media reports suggesting the possible signing of a defence deal between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in near future.

The English-language Daily Times newspaper said under the new deal, the Pakistani and Saudi armed forces would hold joint drills and Islamabad would also transfer military technology to Riyadh.

'The Saudi government has already given its assent to the draft agreement [on defence], which has now been submitted to President Musharraf for approval,' said the paper.

Pakistan-manufactured al-Khalid tanks are currently undergoing trials in Saudi Arabia after the latter recently showed interest in buying them.

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is also a regular buyer of lightweight Super Mushshak or Cessna aircraft manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).

Last February, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz visited Pakistan and five agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the areas of economy, investment, science, technology and education were signed.