A joint communiqué to mark the end of the state visit by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was issued here this evening. Following is the text of the statement: "At an invitation of Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, made a state visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 15th through 17th of February 2014. The warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to the Crown Prince and his delegation by President Mamnoon Hussein, Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and senior officials of Pakistan have embodied the strong fraternal relations binding the two countries while the warm reception accorded to the Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation by the Pakistani people reflected the depth of amicability and respect the Pakistani people are keeping deep in their hearts for the Kingdom and its people under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the visit, the Crown Prince held talks with the President, Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials. The talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere that reflected the fraternal ties between the two countries and were characterized by deep understanding and cooperation to achieve the mutual benefit for the two sisterly countries and their peoples. The two sides expressed keenness to enhance cooperation in different fields to bolster the issues of interest to the Islamic nation in addition to enhancing world peace and stability. The two sides called for benefiting from the opportunities available in the two sisterly countries to expand and improve cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, energy, infrastructure and agriculture, and exchange of government delegations for the mutual benefit of the two sisterly countries. They decided to continue work for more consolidation of the current political relations between the two countries through holding regular bilateral consultations between the two countries' foreign ministries. They also agreed on the need to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of defense. The two sides underscored the importance of completing the necessary measures to sign agreements and memos of understanding in all fields, including Islamic and endowment affairs, labor, labor force, sports, as well as the encouragement and protection of investment agreement. --More 22:32 LOCAL TIME 19:32 GMT تغريد
