August 29, 2008	Friday	Sha'aban 26, 1429

RIYADH, Aug 28: Saudi Arabia is expected to get back to Islamabad soon with a, positive response, to Pakistani request for an oil support facility.

During talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier this week, the Saudi leadership was reported to be more positive to the Pakistani request this time than in past, knowledgeable sources said.

In his meeting with Mr Qureshi earlier this week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal reportedly said that Riyadh understood the urgency of the Pakistani request and would soon come back with a decision. “Yes, we will do it urgently,” the Saudi minister is reported to have told his Pakistani counterpart.

The visit of Mr Qureshi was in accordance with the tradition of Pak-Saudi deliberations at senior political levels at regular intervals. Mr Qureshi was here to discuss and inform the Saudi leadership of internal and external issues confronting Pakistan and the region. The economic aspects of Pak-Saudi relations also came under discussion.

The Pakistani request for an oil facility has been pending with the Saudi leadership for some time. When Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and

PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari visited Saudi Arabia in June on their maiden visit after taking over the reins of leadership in Pakistan, they reiterated the request. Saudi Arabia then remained non-committal on the issue, only promising to look at the request sympathetically.

The Pakistani side was then told that Saudi Arabia would consider the Pakistani request after the energy summit which was then scheduled on June 22 in Jeddah.

However, two months elapsed after the energy summit and there was not much movement on the issue, despite repeated suggestions emanating mainly from Islamabad that Riyadh had accepted the Pakistani request.