Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz received Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Sunday for a meeting during which the leaders tackled both developing and bolstering bilateral ties in general. The latest developments in the south-central Asian country were reviewed at the meeting as well.
The king welcomed the president and his delegation to Saudi Arabia, while Ghani expressed his happiness at visiting the Kingdom and his host.
Later, the king hosted a luncheon in honor of his guest.
According to the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the meeting and luncheon were attended by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment Dr. Majid Al-Qassabi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, and a number of senior Saudi and Afghan officials.
Ghani arrived in Jeddah on Saturday, and immediately went to perform Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Ḥajj, which is performed on specific dates.
The Afghan President also met in Jeddah with Saudi Commerce and Investment Minister Dr. Majid Al-Qassabi, who revealed that the meeting discussed trade and investment cooperation with the intentions of boosting the trade exchange between the two countries.
Qassabi also said Ghani reviewed measures taken by the Afghan government to develop several commercial systems and provide security and stability for future investment projects.
The trade minister also pointed out that, according to the orders from King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and under the follow-up of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a Saudi delegation will visit Afghanistan in the coming two weeks.
Representatives from a number of government agencies will be introduced to investment opportunities and business facilitating measures carried out by the Afghan government. This visit will seek to enhance trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
Ghani, for his part, cheered the leading role played by Saudi Arabia at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and reaffirmed that his government is keen on further developing ties with the international organization.
Better cooperation with the OIC, according to Ghani, will see to the implementation of a number of programs and projects, especially those designed to counter radicalism, extremism and terrorism.
