Saudi Concludes $20 bln Agreements with Pakistan

By Nawal Sayed

CAIRO, Feb 17 (SEE) -  Saudi Arabia signed agreements with Pakistan

worth $20 billion, Saudi-owned Arabiya TV quoted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman as saying on Sunday.

The crown prince, known as MBS, arrived in Pakistan earlier

on Sunday on the first stop of a trip to South Asia and China.

MBS kicked

off his tour of South Asia and China on Sunday with a high-profile visit to

Pakistan, but the trip risks being overshadowed by escalating tensions between

nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman arrived in Pakistan on Feb. 17, 2019 - Press Photo

The visit

comes days after a suicide bomber killed 44 Indian paramilitary police in the

disputed Kashmir region. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of having a hand in the

bombing and vowed to punish Islamabad, which denies involvement, according to

Reuters.

He had

also planned to visit Indonesia and Malaysia during the tour, but those trips

have been postponed, according to Malaysian and Indonesian officials. No

reasons were given for the postponements or alternative dates for the tour. The

crown prince will, however, visit India.

"This

visit, God willing, will start a new chapter in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s

relations," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told state-run PTV

channel.

"We’re

going to start a strategic economic partnership."