India - Saudi Arabia: PM Modi’s Saudi Trip; A Strong Strategic Partnership
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday left for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on two-day visit to the kingdom on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He returned without completing his visit due to the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. In his departure statement however, PM Modi said India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia. Asserting that the relations between the two nations have acquired a strategic depth and momentum in recent years, PM Modi said India and Saudi Arabia have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership, including in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy and people-to-people ties.
PM Modi co-chaired strategic council meeting with Saudi Crown Prince
During his visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Tuesday, held high-level bilateral talks in Jeddah and co-chaired the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) before the PM left for India in view of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Despite the curtailed visit, the talks in Jeddah marked a significant stride in deepening India-Saudi Arabia strategic ties
The engagement Tuesday marked a major step forward in strengthening the multifaceted ties between the two nations, with new initiatives launched across key sectors such as Defence, energy, investment, and cultural cooperation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a one-on-one meeting, followed by delegation-level talks and a session of the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). The SPC meeting was preceded by deliberations among various working groups and a review by other high-level institutional mechanisms, which continue to conduct SWOT analyses of ongoing projects and commitments.
MEA readout
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X Wednesday, ‘PM @narendramodi and Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman held extensive talks & co-chaired the 2nd India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) in Jeddah at the Royal Palace. HRH Crown Prince strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack & expressed his deepest condolences on the innocent lives lost’.
‘They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest & the ongoing cooperation under the IMEEC initiative. The two leaders reviewed the progress of the work under the SPC framework & discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership. They welcomed the expansion of the SPC with the addition of two new Ministerial Committees – on Defence Cooperation & Tourism and Culture Cooperation,’ he added.
4 committees under SPC: During the meeting, both sides agreed to establish two new Ministerial Committees one on Defence Cooperation and another on Tourism and Cultural Cooperation, under the framework of the SPC.
This brings the total number of committees under the Council to four, the others being the Political, Consular and Security Cooperation Committee, and the Economy, Energy, Investment and Technology Committee.
Economic cooperation: Economic collaboration featured prominently, with both nations agreeing to work together on establishing two oil refineries in India. The High-Level Task Force on Investment (HLTF) was recognised for its significant progress, particularly in areas such as taxation, seen as a breakthrough for facilitating greater investment flows in the future.
The talks in Jeddah marked a significant stride in deepening India-Saudi Arabia strategic ties, signaling continued commitment to shared goals in regional stability, economic growth, and cultural collaboration.
