India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Talks: Strengthening Ties And Exploring New Avenues
This marks the Saudi Crown Prince's second state visit to India since February 2019. While initially arriving in Delhi on September 8 for the G20 Summit, he extended his stay to facilitate bilateral talks with PM Modi.
The day commenced with a ceremonial reception at the historic Rashtrapati Bhavan, leading to a series of high-level interactions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties across various domains, encompassing the economy, trade, culture, and defense.
At the Hyderabad House, where the bilateral meeting between PM Modi and the Saudi Crown Prince took place, discussions spanned a wide range of topics, including political, security, defense, trade, economics, and culture.
The leaders were not only tasked with reviewing existing cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Council but also envisioning future avenues of partnership, facilitated by two essential ministerial committees.
To emphasize the comprehensive nature of this partnership, a formal signing of the minutes of the first meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council took place at Hyderabad House.
Later in the evening, the Saudi Crown Prince was received by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, providing a platform for dialogue that reaffirmed mutual interests and addressed regional and international matters concerning both nations.
In an effort to foster people-to-people ties, a cornerstone of India-Saudi Arabia relations, both leaders explored ways to enhance cultural exchanges and acknowledged the significant role played by the 2.4 million-strong Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Crown Prince's visit comes amid a notable milestone in economic cooperation, with bilateral trade reaching an all-time high of $52.75 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. India and Saudi Arabia hold prominent positions as trading partners for each other.
Moreover, in the backdrop of the G20 Summit, Saudi Arabia partnered with several countries, including India, to launch a substantial railway and port project aimed at streamlining the flow of commerce, energy, and data from India across the Middle East to Europe.
The India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, established during PM Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2019, serves as a mechanism to strengthen bilateral ties across diverse domains. Operating through two ministerial committees focused on political, security, social and cultural cooperation, and economic and investment cooperation, it provides a structured framework for deeper collaboration and understanding between the two nations.
The first Leaders' Meeting of the council, co-chaired by PM Modi and the Saudi Crown Prince during this visit, signifies a commitment to nurturing this partnership, encompassing various bilateral concerns and opportunities for collaborative endeavors. It represents a dedicated pathway to cultivate multifaceted relations between India and Saudi Arabia, envisioning a future of shared growth, stability, and prosperity through concerted efforts and mutual respect.