Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf met Bahraini king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah on Wednesday, and vowed to further enhance brotherly ties between the two countries.
The prime minister met the Bahraini king on the sidelines of Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit here. Ashraf said the two countries enjoyed close, cordial and friendly relations based on mutual trust and understanding. He lauded the monarch’s efforts to promote understanding among various segments of the Bahraini society through dialogue.
He said the 65,000-strong Pakistani expatriate community was significantly contributing to the development and progress of Bahrain in both public and private sectors. He also thanked the kingdom for taking care of the Pakistani community.
Ashraf said that economic and trade ties between the two countries had been steadily improving, but efforts were needed to raise the trade volume to its real potential. He said that Pakistan had been working for an early conclusion of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with GCC, and expressed the desire to further strengthen cooperation in Defence. Ashraf also extended an invitation to King of Bahrain to visit Pakistan which he accepted. The king of Bahrain thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their continued support, saying Pakistan was his second home.
