PM Modi: India & Saudi Arabia to form 'Strategic partnership Council'

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning, he spoke to local media in Saudi about developments in India. As PM Modi arrived in Saudi Arabia, he was received by officials with a guard of honour. 

Calling Saudi Arabia an Asian power and most important among among the neighbours of India, Prime Minister announced that India and Saudi Arabia will have a strategic partnership council. The Prime Minister also spoke on crude oil import between both nations. PM also reiterated India's commitment to fight against terror and highlighted the importance of Saudi Arabia in doing so. He also sent a message to Indian diaspora in Saudi. 

Speaking about his chemistry with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, PM Modi said that he witnessed a remarkable growth in bilateral relations and that he has so far met the Crown five times. Highlighting Saudi's importance to India, PM Modi said that “Neighbourhood First” continues to be the guiding vision for his government’s foreign policy. "India’s relations with Saudi Arabia are one of the most important bilateral relationships in our extended neighbourhood," PM said.

Strategic Partnership Council

Speaking to the local news portal in Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister said that there will be Strategic Partnership Council to focus on trade, investment, security and defence cooperation between both the nations. PM Modi said: "During this visit to Saudi Arabia, we are going to sign an agreement on a Strategic Partnership Council, which will begin a new era of cooperation across sectors. Our ties across various dimensions such as trade, investment, security and defence cooperation are robust and deep, and will only strengthen further."

PM Modi's word on counter-terrorism

Speaking against terrorism, the Prime Minister said: "I believe that Asian powers like India and Saudi Arabia share similar security concerns in their neighbourhood. In that respect, I am happy that our cooperation, particularly in the field of counterterrorism, security and strategic issues, is progressing very well. My national security adviser just visited Riyadh for a very productive visit.
We have a Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation that holds regular meetings. We have identified a number of areas of mutual interest and cooperation in the field of defence and security. We are also in the process of entering into agreements on security cooperation, collaboration in defence industries and also agreed to hold a comprehensive security dialogue mechanism between the two countries."

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PM on global economic downturn

Speaking about the global economic slowdown, PM Modi said: "India has undertaken many reforms to create a business-friendly environment and to ensure that we remain a major driver of global growth and stability. Our reforms for ease of doing business and introducing investor-friendly initiatives have contributed to improving our position in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019. A number of major flagship initiatives, like Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Swachh Bharat, Smart Cities and Startup India, are offering a lot of opportunities to foreign investors. Similarly, I am happy to note that Saudi Arabia too has embarked upon a reform program as part of their Vision 2030."

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Message to the Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia

Sending a message to Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia, PM Modi said: "Nearly 2.6 million Indians have made Saudi Arabia their second home, contributing to its growth and development. Many Indians also visit the Kingdom every year for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage and for business purposes. My message to my fellow citizens is that your country is proud of the place that you have made for yourself in the Kingdom and your hard work and commitment have helped to generate a lot of goodwill for the overall bilateral relationship. I am confident that you will continue to remain the binding force in our ties with the Kingdom, and further contribute to the strengthening of the historic ties between the two countries, which are based on people-to-people contacts over several decades."

READ: PM Modi arrives in Saudi Arabia for two-day visit to boost ties

PM Modi's statement before the visit

The Prime Minister will be staying at the King Saud Palace during the visit. According to reports, the Prime Minister is in Saudi on the invitation of Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with various ministers and officials. He would also be launching the 'RuPay' card in the country.

A meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Labour and Social Development Minister Ahmad bin Sulaiman Alrajhi and Environment and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al Fadley are scheduled on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said the visit is important and will embark new 'bilateral ties' between the two countries. "During the visit, the Agreement for the establishment of the Strategic Partnership Council will further elevate the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership to a new level," the statement added. 

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