Pakistan Chief of Army Staff concludes UAE visit

The Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir concludes his official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today.

The ten-day trip focused on military cooperation and saw Syed meet senior leaders from both countries. This is Syed’s first trip since assuming command of Pakistan’s army. The choice of Saudi Arabia for Syed’s first international trip is in keeping with tradition set by previous commanders and highlights the importance of the Saudi-Pakistani bilateral relationship, particularly between the two nation’s armed forces.

The visit occurred during a tumultuous period in Pakistani politics following the attempted assassination of former prime minister Imran Khan in November. After the attack, Khan was vocal in his criticisms of the former army chief of staff and wedged himself into the public discourse surrounding the nomination of Syed.

While Pakistan is also beset by high inflation and is at risk of default, defense cooperation is the primary focus of the visit.  The visit will result in boilerplate pronouncements regarding the importance of the respective defense bilateral relationships, while the importance of the Saudi-Pakistani relationship will take precedence over the UAE-Pakistan relationship. The visit is unlikely to result in any perceptible policy changes.