ISLAMABAD, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a phone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussing economic relations and matters of mutual interest, the Prime Minister's Office said on Tuesday.
During the conversation, the two leaders reviewed the progress on decisions taken recently between the two countries and were resolved to further strengthen trade and economic ties, with particular focus on accelerating cooperation and building partnerships in investments, energy and infrastructure.
Highlighting the generous support extended by the UAE to Pakistan over the years, the Pakistani prime minister welcomed the recent announcement by the UAE to invest 1 billion U.S. dollars in various economic and investment sectors in Pakistan, the office said in a statement.
Reaffirming the close fraternal ties between the two countries, the two sides agreed to work closely to further enhance bilateral cooperation in different fields, it said.
The UAE is Pakistan's largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major source of investments, and hosts more than 1.6 million Pakistanis. ■