King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, received Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari at Al-Salaam Palace here Wednesday. The two leaders discussed matters of wide ranging issues of mutual interest including security in the region. They reiterated their resolve to further deepen bilateral relations and lay greater stress on economic cooperation. King Abdullah praised Pakistan's sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and said that the Kingdom was a steadfast friend of Pakistan. President Zardari said that his country favored political stability in the Middle East, and was against use of violence in the region. Earlier, Zardari was received at King Abdul Aziz International Airport by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister for Interior, and Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region. President Zardari is heading a 13-member strong delegation that includes the country's Interior Minister Rahman Malik and Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar. He will leave Saudi Arabia Thursday after a two-day official visit. As a special gesture the Saudi government accepted the credentials of the new Pakistani envoy Muhammad Naeem Khan within hours of his arrival in Saudi Arabia Tuesday.Caption : King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari hold talks at Al-Salaam Palace in Jeddah Wednesday.
