President Zardari, UAE counterpart discuss way to further deepen ties

President Asif Ali Zardari met his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, with both leaders discussing ways to further deepen ties between the two countries.

According to the President’s Secretariat, President Zardari, who is currently undertaking a four-day official visit to the Gulf country, met his UAE counterpart while being accompanied by a high-level delegation.

“The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE,” the statement said.

“They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership,” the statement said.

President Zardari highlighted the significance of the UAE president’s recent visit to Pakistan and expressed “appreciation for the UAE’s continued support for strengthening bilateral ties”.

“Both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development,” the statement said.

“President Zardari’s visit underscores the enduring friendship and strategic partnership between Pakistan and the UAE,” it stated.

Earlier in the day, the president had met with UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, according to a separate statement by the President’s Secretariat. He also paid tribute to the leadership of the UAE president.

“The meeting underscored the importance of promoting dialogue, inclusivity, and peaceful coexistence,” the handout said.

It said the president paid tribute to the visionary leadership of the Emirati president and “lauded the UAE’s national vision of tolerance and human fraternity, noting that it has positioned the country as a leading global example of harmony among diverse communities”.

“He appreciated the UAE’s success in fostering unity and mutual respect among over 200 nationalities as a compelling model of social cohesion,” it added.

President Zardari noted that “these values strongly resonate with Pakistan’s own commitment to interfaith harmony, social inclusion, and respect for cultural and religious diversity, as enshrined in its Constitution and societal traditions”.

First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE were also present on the occasion, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, AD Ports Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi also paid a courtesy call to President Zardari.

A separate handout said the president appreciated the group’s “long-term investment and growing role in Pakistan’s maritime and logistics sector, describing it as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation”.

“He highlighted the group’s ongoing investments at Karachi Port as instrumental in enhancing port capacity, efficiency, and regional competitiveness,” it added.

The statement said that both sides agreed that “the expansion and modernisation of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and the country’s seaborne trade”.

“President Zardari also welcomed the establishment of AD Ports Group’s representative office in Islamabad and appreciated the group’s collaboration on digital and customs facilitation initiatives aimed at improving trade efficiency,” it added.

According to the Foreign Office, during the four-day official visit, the president will hold high-level meetings with the UAE’s leadership to review the “full spectrum of bilateral ties, especially in the domains of trade and economic partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people ties”.

It said that Zardari’s trip, which follows the brief visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Pakistan last month, “reflects the deep brotherly ties between the two nations and reaffirms commitment to transforming the strong friendship between Pakistan and the UAE into a mutually rewarding partnership”.