Pakistan's army chief Munir visits Saudi amid economic crisis
Pakistan's new army chief General Syed Asim Munir has held talks with top Saudi officials, including the defence minister, on his first official trip to the Gulf kingdom as the South Asian country faces an unprecedented economic crisis.
General Syed Asim Munir, who took charge in November last year, has followed in the footsteps of his predecessors in visiting Saudi Arabia– a close defence and economic ally– on his maiden overseas trip. He will also visit the United Arab Emirates during the nearly one-week trip.
'Pakistan's army chief will be meeting the senior leadership of both brotherly countries to discuss matters of mutual interest, military-to-military cooperation and bilateral relations focusing on security-related subjects,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said in a statement on Wednesday.
General Syed Asim Munir, discussed military cooperation with Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in the capital Riyadh on Thursday, according to the Saudi news Agency.
'We emphasised the strategic partnership between our brotherly nations, reviewed the bilateral military and defense ties, and discussed ways of strengthening our cooperation,' Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.
The current visit by Pakistan's army chief came at a time when Pakistan faced a crippling economic crisis as the country’s foreign reserves have depleted to less than 6bn US dollar– its lowest since April 2014– which can just cover a month of import. Inflation has been skyrocketing while the country is also dealing with the aftermath of previous year's catastrophic floods that resulted in an estimated loss of more than 30bn dollar.
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