(16 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Islamabad, Pakistan – 16 April 2024
1. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arriving for briefing
2. Wide of briefing
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister:
“I think this is a very, very positive visit from our perspective at least and the engagement that we have had so far lays the groundwork for significant and important work to be done in the next few months in order to achieve all of the potential that exists. And you know we believe in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia very strongly in the potential that Pakistan holds especially in the economic development side there is a lot of untapped potential that is clear to everyone it just needs to be tapped. And here working together we will do what we can with our colleagues in the government of Pakistan to make that happen.”
4. Briefing
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ishaq Dar, Pakistani Foreign Minister:
“Pakistan is committed to providing Saudi investors full support, relevant safeguards and (a) conducive environment for investment. The honourable Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed SIFC (Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council) and relevant ministries to move forward on investment projects in a diligent and time-bound manner on fast track.”
6. Prince Faisal and Dar during briefing
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ishaq Dar, Pakistani Foreign Minister:
“We have a very rich history in agriculture, we have great scope in IT, we have mines and minerals worth over $10 trillion (US) against Pakistan total debt of $130 billion, peanuts of dollars, you know, total national debt and liabilities. So we have to streamline those assets and use this vehicle. So we have different opportunities, it depends on the appetite of the investor.”
8. Pan of briefing
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister:
“We are already in an unstable region. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is already inflaming the region, we do not need more conflict in our region, we do not need more confrontation in our region. So it is our position that de-escalation must be everybody’s priority. When there are differences, they should be resolved through dialogue, not through the use of force.”
10. Prince Faisal and Dar during briefing
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister:
“The international efforts towards a cease-fire have been wholly insufficient.
We are now well beyond 33,000 civilians killed. We are now actively discussing the potential for famine in Gaza – again famine – that means people are starving to death because humanitarian assistance is not getting to them. This is an unacceptable situation, it is a complete failure of the international system.”
12. Wide of briefing
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister:
“We have finally now started to see a turn around and issue of aid. Unfortunately that happened after six Western aid workers were killed by Israel, but it didn’t happen after 33,000 Palestinians were killed. So this shows you the continuing double standard that we have to deal with, and we have to live with.”
14. End of briefing
STORYLINE:
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday called for an immediate cease-fire and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on a visit to Islamabad, said that international efforts toward a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group Hamas have been "wholly insufficient.”
“This is an unacceptable situation."
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