PM Imran Khan’s Saudi Arabian visit very successful, fruitful: Cheng Xizhong

BEIJING, The recent visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was very important, successful and fruitful, Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law and former defence attache in South Asian countries, said on Wednesday.

“From PM Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia, it can be seen that the relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which are based on common beliefs and strategic interests, are unbreakable, and Saudi Arabia will continue to be Pakistan’s closest cooperative partner in the Middle East,” he said in a statement.

Prof Cheng Xizhong said Saudi Arabia was a sincere friend of Pakistan. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, which also had close economic and trade cooperation with India, had repeatedly expressed its willingness to play a mediating role on the India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir issue, he added.

Pakistan, he said, had made it clear that it welcomed Saudi Arabia to play an active mediation role as a third party. The Kashmir issue was a key factor affecting the India-Pakistan relations and regional peace and stability, which needed the active and powerful intervention of the United Nations, the international community and countries such as Saudi Arabia that had influence on both India and Pakistan, he added.

Cheng Xizhong said Saudi Arabia had a strong financial strength and was looking for investment opportunities in the international market. Pakistan was an emerging economy.

With the continuous development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan’s investment environment had improved significantly, which was forming a huge attraction to international investors.

This important visit of PM Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia and the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Pakistan would certainly create a good atmosphere for comprehensive economic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and for Saudi Arabia to increase its investment in Pakistan on a large scale.