ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the two agreed to revitalise ties in the economic, trade and investment sectors for the mutual benefit of their countries.

Mr Aziz, who is in Bahrain to attend the Manama Security Dialogue’s 12th Regional Security Summit, held meetings with Mr Shoukry and Prince Turki Al Faisal, the chairman of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies of Saudi Arabia.

During his meeting with the Egyptian minister on the sidelines of the summit, it was decided that the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) would meet soon in Islamabad to undertake a comprehensive overview of the ongoing cooperation and set future directions, said a press release on Sunday.

Mr Aziz and Mr Shoukry welcomed the outcome of the bilateral political consultations held in May in Cairo, which provided a useful mechanism of consultations to closely coordinate respective positions on regional and international issues.

The two sides agreed to coordinate their positions on the Security Council Reform and to support each other’s candidatures for various bodies of the United Nations.

Mr Aziz also met Prince Turki Al Fasial, who fondly recalled his visits to Pakistan and interactions with Pakistani leadership. As the founder of the King Faisal Foundation, Prince Turki is overseeing various educational and philanthropic projects.

The adviser proposed joint programmes between the King Faisal Foundation and Pakistani universities in the field of de-radicalisation.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Bahrain agreed to take bilateral cooperation in the economic and trade sectors to a new level by holding the JMC meeting next month.

This was decided during a meeting with the Bahraini Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Khalifa.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister will visit Pakistan on Jan 30-31 as the head of the Bahraini delegation at the inaugural JMC meeting, a press release said.

Mr Aziz briefed the foreign minister on Pakistan’s success in counterterrorism, which has led to marked improvement in internal security, paving the way for sustained economic growth and foreign direct investment.

Bahrain and other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council would benefit from the opportunities offered by economic turnaround and connectivity projects in Pakistan, he added.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2016