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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Dubai on Thursday on two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai Ahmed Amjad Ali, senior officers of the embassy, and senior officials from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the foreign minister at Dubai International Airport.
The foreign minister will hold discussions with the UAE leadership on all areas of mutual interest including regional and global issues.
During the visit, the foreign minister will exchange views on bilateral cooperation, particularly trade, investment, and the welfare of the Pakistani diaspora. The foreign minister will also meet Pakistani diaspora and interact with local and international media.
A statement from the Foreign Office said Pakistan and the UAE enjoy historic fraternal relations, rooted firmly in shared history, common faith, values and mutual respect. The UAE is home to the second largest Pakistani community abroad.
“High-level visits are an important feature, which not only exhibit cordial ties between the two countries but also accord the leadership an opportunity to give further impetus to strengthening bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues,” the statement said.
The visit comes amid reports of differences between Pakistan and UAE. Many Pakistanis have complained that they are not being provided visas to visit the UAE, a claimed denied by the Gulf Arab state.
Earlier Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State Reem Al Hashimi on the sidelines Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Niamey, Niger.
The foreign minister apprised her of the difficulties being faced by Pakistani citizens with regard to UAE visas and underscored the need to address the issue at the earliest possible.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari had also denied media reports that the UAE had suspended the issuance of work visas to Pakistanis.
He said UAE Minister for Human Resources and Emiratisation Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli had “categorically stated that there is no ban on the export of Pakistani workforce”
The reports emerged that the UAE has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria over security concerns.
