A spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign ministry, Tasleem Aslam, said that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz would hold talks with President Pervez Musharraf on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues during the King’s official visit to Pakistan, which begins February 1.

While he has visited Pakistan five times, most recently as Crown Prince in October 2003, it will be King Abdullah’s first visit as ruler.

Aslam praised Saudi Arabia’s support for Pakistan following the October 8, 2005 earthquake, and noted that the Kingdom has pledged $573 million for the reconstruction of the affected areas. She also said that Saudi Arabia is Pakistan’s primary supplier of oil.

Trade between the two nations totaled $2.8 billion in 2004-2005, Aslam said, while Saudi investments in Pakistan totaled $275 million over the same period.

In remarks today, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Mirza, said that talks would also focus on the war against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East, as well as reform of the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

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