In a phone call, Pakistan Prime Min­ister Imran Khan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Crown Prince She­ikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to boost bilateral ties. Nearly 1.2 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, who send back approximately $5 billion in remittances annually.

"The two leaders reaffirmed the existing close fraternal relations between Pakistan and the UAE and reiterated the resolve to further solidify and strengthen the multifaceted bilateral relationship," Dawn news quoted the Prime Minister Office (PMO) as saying in a statement following the call on Saturday.

The PMO added that they also agreed to continue working closely to enhance bilateral ties as well as cooperation in multilateral organisations.

"They also exchanged views on Covid-19 pandemic and regional and international issues of mutual interest," the statement said.

The call took place in the backdrop of reports that the UAE had rolled over its $1 billion loan for Pakistan for another year, according to the Dawn news rpeort.

The UAE had in 2019 provided $2 billion to Pakistan to strengthen its foreign exch­ange reserves.

The remaining loan of $1 billion would mature in March and is also likely to be rolled over, the report said.

(IANS)