Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Sheikh Zayed Palace, Rahim Yar Khan, on Tuesday afternoon and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, SAPM Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials.

During their warm and cordial meeting, the two leaders carried forward discussions from their recent meeting in Islamabad on December 26.

The prime minister reiterated his firm resolve to elevate the longstanding, brotherly ties between Pakistan and the UAE into a strategic, mutually beneficial, economic partnership.

He stressed upon the need for both sides to actively pursue enhancement in bilateral trade through a quantum jump, which will bring it to the desired level.

The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in a wide range of areas, including IT, energy, mining & minerals, as well as defence cooperation.

While expressing his great admiration for the UAE’s remarkable progress under President Sheikh Mohamed’s dynamic and visionary leadership, the prime minister thanked the UAE President for his patronage and commitment to fostering stronger ties between the two countries.

He also appreciated the UAE for hosting 2.1 million Pakistanis, who were playing an important role in strengthening ties between both countries.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, the two leaders also exchanged views on a variety of subjects.

The meeting capped off a year of extensive leadership-level engagements between Pakistan and the UAE.