PM Modi holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince, both condemn terror attack in J-K

<p>Jeddah, Apr 22 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir as they co-chaired the Strategic Partnership Council, aimed at further strengthening the friendship between the two countries.</p><p>The two sides created two new ministerial committees, including one on defence, and agreed to collaborate on establishing two refineries in India.</p><p>Modi, who arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday on a two-day visit, delayed his scheduled meeting with the Crown Prince by at least two hours to assess the situation in Kashmir, where terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists.</p><p>Modi, who held bilateral talks with the Saudi Crown Prince, skipped an official dinner hosted and decided to cut short his visit and return home on Tuesday night, sources said. He was originally scheduled to return to India on Wednesday night.</p><p>Earlier, Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Al Salam Palace (Palace of Peace), where he was received by Crown Prince Mohammed.</p><p>The two leaders hugged as they greeted each other, according to the photographs shared by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.</p><p>It was followed by detailed bilateral discussions and the meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, which was established during the prime minister’s 2019 visit to strengthen bilateral ties.</p><p>Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Suhel Ajaz Khan, said the meeting began with a reference to the unfortunate terror attack that has happened in India.</p><p>”Both leaders expressed their condemnation for the terror attack. The Crown Prince conveyed his condolences and sympathies, and offered any help in this regard to us,” the envoy said.</p><p>India and Saudi Arabia have cooperation in issues related to terrorism, and they continue to work together, he added.</p><p>”The Council reviewed the work of the various committees, subcommittees and working groups under the SPC, which encompass political, defence, security, trade, investment, energy, technology, agriculture, culture and people-to-people ties,” according to an official statement.</p><p>To reflect the deepening of defence partnership over the past few years – including joint exercises, training programmes, and collaboration in the defence industry, the two sides decided to create a new ministerial committee on defence cooperation, it said.</p><p>The two sides decided to create a new ministerial committee on tourism and cultural cooperation to strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties, which has had significant momentum in recent years.</p><p>The two sides also signed four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of space, anti-doping education, health and communications.</p><p>Both sides also agreed to collaborate on establishing two refineries in India.</p><p>”Building on the commitment of Saudi Arabia to invest USD 100 billion in India in multiple areas including energy, petrochemicals, infrastructure, technology, fintech, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and health, the joint High-Level Task Force on Investment came to an understanding in multiple areas to rapidly promote such investment flows,” the statement said.</p><p>It said that the progress made by HLTF in areas such as taxation is a major breakthrough for greater investment cooperation in the future.</p><p>This was the prime minister’s third visit to the Gulf Kingdom and the first one to the historic city of Jeddah.</p><p>”This visit will strengthen the friendship between India and Saudi Arabia,” Modi earlier posted on X in English and Arabic.</p><p>As a special gesture, the prime minister’s aircraft was escorted by F-15s of the Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi airspace. The gesture was seen as a deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries.</p><p>”Giving further momentum to our long-standing and historic ties. PM @narendramodi lands in the historic port city of Jeddah to a 21-gun salute & ceremonial welcome,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.</p><p>The prime minister, who received Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour in 2016, has described the crown prince as “my brother”.</p><p>Saudi Arabia is home to 2.7 million Indians who live and work in the Gulf Kingdom.</p><p>In an interview with Arab News ahead of his visit, Modi described Saudi Arabia as “one of India’s most valued partners, a maritime neighbour, a trusted friend and a strategic ally”.</p><p>”We consider Saudi Arabia a force of positivity and stability in the region. As maritime neighbours, India and Saudi Arabia share a natural interest in safeguarding peace and stability in the region,” he said. PTI ZH ASH ZH ZH</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>