On the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in Cairo, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with H.E Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia. The Prime Minister greeted him for assuming office and discussed various issues of mutual concern including political, trade, and economic ones, together with cooperation at the multilateral forums.
Both leaders reiterated the need for regular high-level exchanges to maintain the momentum of bilateral relations, particularly in expanding cooperation in the fields of economics and trade. The Prime Minister noted Indonesia’s significance as a reliable trade partner, as palm oil supplies have been crucial in fulfilling Pakistan’s needs for vegetable oil.
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In this context, Shehbaz Sharif expressed great interest on behalf of Pakistan in engaging with ASEAN and its members and appreciated Indonesia’s cooperation in attaining the Sectoral Partner Status in ASEAN and membership to the ASEAN Regional Forum. He expressed hope for Pakistan to become a Full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN with the help of Indonesia.
The Indonesian president accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to visit his country, which the president graciously accepted and both leaders reiterated their commitment to the Palestinian cause by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question providing for the establishment of a sovereign independent State of Palestine with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.