ISLAMABAD, Feb.16: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will explore ways to further strengthen bilateral relations during a visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the Saudi Kingdom later this week, the foreign office said on Tuesday.

The prime minister is visiting Saudi Arabia to deliver a keynote speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum on February 19, spokesman Masood Khan told at a weekly briefing. During his visit, the prime minister will call on King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz and hold a meeting with Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz.

During these meetings, the leaders of the two countries would also discuss the situation in the Middle East. Prime Minister Aziz has been invited by the chairman of Jeddah Marketing Board (JMB) to address the forum on the theme "Capacity Building; Developing People for Sustainable Growth."

The Jeddah Economic Forum is an annual event organized by the JMB, an offshoot of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since 1999, when it was established, the forum has held five such annual events. -APP