JEDDAH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan enjoy extremely close, warm and brotherly relations based on religious affinities and share historical values and culture, Captain Azhar Naeem, chief of the Pakistani naval ship Babur which arrived here on a friendship-cum-training visit, said. These relations, he said, are of strategic significance and have withstood the test of time and many challenges. “Our mutual defense ties have grown over the years. Naval forces have always played a vital role in strengthening the bond of friendship through goodwill and training visits,” Captain Naeem said. At a reception he hosted aboard the ship, Captian Naeem thanked the Royal Saudi Naval Forces for immaculate arrangements. “The love and affection that we have witnessed is overwhelming,” he said. Abdurrahman Jelaidy, Commodore of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, was the chief guest at the even which was also attended by senior Saudi navy officials, Bian Zhiqiang, Vice Consul General of China in Jeddah, and Abdul Salik Khan, Consul General of Pakistan, a large number of Pakistani community members and local media representatives. Consul General Khan said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were like an integrated body. “We share each others' strength and happiness and sorrow and pain.” Pakistan's relations with Saudi Arabia, he said, are multidimensional due to our common strategic vision. “We are fully aware of the challenges to our security and we are fully prepared to deal with them.” The deep ties between the two countries, he said, could be discerned from the fact that King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, himself appeared on television last year to seek assistance for the flood victims of Pakistan. “That gesture is etched deep in the heart of Pakistanis,” he said. Bian Zhiqiang appreciated the cordial relations between China and Pakistan. China will continue to help Pakistan in defense and in all other fields whenever required by Pakistan, he assured.
