PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with Saudi's Mohammed bin Salman
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Saudi Arabian counterpart and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Monday at the Hyderabad House in Delhi. Reportedly, Al Saud arrived in India with a high-level delegation, comprising senior state officials and ministers, to review bilateral ties and cooperation between the two nations in various areas. The bilateral talks focused on topics ranging from trade and energy to defense, said reports.
Saudi Crown Prince receives ceremonial reception at Rastrapati Bhawan
Before engaging in bilateral discussions with PM Modi, the Saudi Crown Prince received a grand reception upon his arrival at the Rastrapati Bhawan on Monday morning. Following the conclusion of the bilateral dialogue, news agency ANI reported that PM Modi and Al Saud also signed the minutes of the inaugural India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council meeting at the Hyderabad House.
Key topics discussed during Modi-Al Saud talks
Trade, economy, energy, defense, and cultural cooperation were reportedly the primary topics of discussion during PM Modi and the Saudi Crown Prince's meeting on Monday. The news outlet NDTV reported that both leaders also reviewed the progress of the two ministerial committees under the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. They also discussed bilateral ties and international and regional matters of mutual interest, among others.
Everything about India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council
To recall, the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council was launched in October 2019 during PM Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia. The panel functions through two ministerial delegations that focus on social, political, cultural, and security cooperation between the countries, per India Today. It also works on providing a structured framework to build a deeper understanding and collaboration between India and Saudi Arabia.
Details on Saudi PM's G20 participation
Notably, the Saudi prime minister reached Delhi on Friday to participate in the recently concluded G20 Summit. Separately, on Saturday, the United States (US), Saudi Arabia, India, and the European Union (EU) announced a historic pact to launch the India-Middle East-Europe connectivity corridor for economic integration.
Saudi PM to meet President Murmu later today
Later on Monday, the Saudi prime minister is also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at around 6:30pm at the Rashtrapati Bhawan before his departure from the national capital at approximately 8:30pm. It is also worth noting that this is Al Saud's second state visit to the country. His previous state visit took place in February 2019.
Know about India-Saudi ties
According to India TV, Saudi Arabia and India have historically had close ties with strong people-to-people contacts and share a friendly partnership in the energy sector, too. While India is Saudi's second-largest trade partner, the West Asian nation is our country's fourth-biggest trade ally. Notably, during 2022-23 fiscal, the trade between the two nations hit an all-time high of $52.75 billion.
