ISLAMABAD: Saudi Minister for Media Dr Majed bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi has invited Information and Broadcasting Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki called on the information minister on Monday and conveyed the invitation on behalf of the Saudi media minister, a press release said.

In his letter, the Saudi minister stated that on the occasion of the holy month of Ramazan, he desired to invite the minister to visit Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah and visit the Mosque of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in Madina.

He said the visit would also provide both sides the opportunity to discuss ways and means for strengthening of media cooperation.

The information minister accepted the invitation and said he would visit Saudi Arabia soon. He said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed deep fraternal ties based on common faith, culture, traditions and values and he would like the media dimension added to these ties.

During discussion with the ambassador, emphasis was laid on the revival and implementation of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed between the two countries to strengthen cultural cooperation.

Chaudhary Fawad said that collaboration in the field of culture was imperative to understand each other’s values and bring the brotherly people of the two nations closer.

The information minister stressed enhanced cooperation in the fields of media and information.

The both sides also discussed the situation arising out of Covid-19 and exchanged views on utilising each other’s experiences and best practices to cope with the pandemic.

The information minister informed the envoy about Pakistan’s strategy of smart lockdown which was internationally acknowledged. He said that the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to care for both lives and livelihoods of poor people proved instrumental in tackling the challenge of Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2021