EAM Jaishankar holds ‘warm and productive’ talks with Saudi counterpart in Riyadh

International

pti-PTI

Riyadh,
Sep
11:
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
on
Sunday
held
“warm
and
productive” talks
with
his
Saudi
counterpart
Prince
Faisal
bin
Farhan
during
which
they
discussed
current
global
political
as
well
as
economic
issues
and
agreed
to
work
closely
together
in
G-20
and
multilateral
organisations.

Jaishankar
arrived
here
on
Saturday
on
a
three-day
visit
to
Saudi
Arabia
to
discuss
ways
to
further
strengthen
relations
between
the
two
countries.
It
is
his
first
visit
to
Saudi
Arabia
as
External
Affairs
Minister.

On
Sunday,
Jaishankar
co-chaired
with
his
Saudi
counterpart
the
first
ministerial
meeting
of
the
Committee
on
Political,
Security,
Social
and
Cultural
Cooperation
(PSSC),
established
under
the
framework
of
the
India-Saudi
Arabia
Strategic
Partnership
Council.

“Warm
and
productive
meeting
with
Saudi
Foreign
Minister
HH
Prince
@FaisalbinFarhan
this
afternoon.
Co-chaired
the
Political,
Security,
Social
and
Cultural
Committee
of
the
India-Saudi
Partnership
Council,”
Jaishankar
tweeted
in
both
English
and
Arabic.

The
minister
said
that
they
discussed
current
global
political
and
economic
concerns.
“Agreed
to
work
closely
together
in
G20
and
multilateral
organizations,”
he
added.

India
and
Saudi
Arabia
enjoy
cordial
and
friendly
relations
reflecting
the
centuries-old
economic
and
socio-cultural
ties.
Saudi
Arabia
is
India’s
fourth-largest
trading
partner.
Earlier
in
the
morning,
Jaishankar
addressed
diplomats
at
the
Prince
Saud
Al
Faisal
Institute
of
Diplomatic
Studies
in
Riyadh.

During
his
address,
the
minister
underlined
the
importance
of
the
strategic
relationship
between
the
two
countries
and
said
that
the
collaboration
between
them
holds
the
promise
of
shared
growth,
prosperity,
stability,
security
and
development.

“Addressed
diplomats
at
the
Prince
Saud
Al
Faisal
Institute
of
Diplomatic
Studies
in
Riyadh
this
morning.
Underlined
the
importance
of
India-Saudi
Strategic
Relationship
at
a
time
when
the
world
is
at
crossroads,”
he
said
in
a
tweet.

“Our
collaboration
holds
promise
of
shared
growth,
prosperity,
stability,
security
and
development,”
he
added
in
another
tweet.
More
than
18
per
cent
of
India’s
crude
oil
imports
are
sourced
from
Saudi
Arabia.

During
FY22
(April
-December),
bilateral
trade
was
valued
at
USD
29.28
billion.
During
this
period,
India’s
imports
from
Saudi
Arabia
were
valued
at
USD
22.65
billion
and
exports
to
Saudi
Arabia
were
worth
USD
6.63
billion.

Jaishankar
started
his
visit
to
Saudi
Arabia
with
interaction
with
the
Indian
community
on
Saturday.
He
appreciated
the
contribution
of
Indian
diaspora
in
facing
national
challenges.
“Spoke
to
them
about
our
country’s
resilience,
especially
during
the
time
of
the
Covid
and
national
transformation
that
is
underway
in
India,”
Jaishankar
tweeted.

The
approximately
2.2-million-strong
Indian
community
is
the
largest
expatriate
community
in
the
Kingdom,
according
to
the
Indian
embassy
in
Riyadh.
Jaishankar
said
India
has
made
powerful
efforts
to
grow
its
economy
and
emerge
as
a
higher-income
country
as
he
expressed
hope
that
it
will
be
the
fastest
growing
major
economy
in
the
world
this
year
with
at
least
7
per
cent
growth
despite
the
challenges
posed
by
the
Ukraine
crisis.

Addressing
the
Indian
community
here,
Jaishankar
said:
“India
thinks
about
the
ways
in
which
it
can
change
its
credit,
banking,
education
and
labour
policy.”
He
said
that
India
has
made
powerful
efforts
to
grow
its
economy
and
move
towards
becoming
a
higher-income
country.
He
pointed
out
that
the
world
is
facing
many
challenges,
like
rising
food,
oil
and
shipping
prices
due
to
the
Ukraine
crisis.

“But
we
are
still
very
confident
that
India
will
be
the
fastest
growing
major
economy
in
the
world
this
year.
We
will
get
at
least
7
per
cent
growth,”
he
said.
Jaishankar
also
lauded
the
growing
ties
between
India
and
Saudi
Arabia.
He
said
during
the
Covid
crisis,
“We
saw
our
international
friendships
also
deliver
at
that
point
of
time.”

“Saudi
Arabia
was
very
helpful
and
provided
supplies
of
oxygen.
Two
years
of
Covid
are
when
the
country
was
tested
but
we
came
through,”
said
Jaishankar.
Speaking
about
the
key
role
the
Indian
diaspora
plays
in
the
ties
between
the
two
countries,
Jaishankar
said,
“In
many
ways,
all
of
you
shaped
the
image
of
India
and
what
Saudis
think
about
India
and
what
we
are
about.”

“Consciously
or
unconsciously,
all
of
you
through
your
achievements,
contributions,
profession,
and
friendships
have
collectively
built
up
what
is
the
total
Saudi
perception
of
India.
For
that,
your
country
will
be
always
grateful,”
he
said.
“One
of
our
foreign
policy
priorities
is
to
ensure
that
our
people
get
good
treatment
abroad,”
he
said.

On
the
first
day
of
his
visit
on
Saturday,
Jaishankar
also
met
the
GCC
Secretary-General
and
exchanged
views
on
current
regional
and
global
issues.
“Productive
meeting
with
@GCC
Secretary-General
Dr
Nayef
Falah
Mubarak
Al-Hajraf.
Signed
the
MoU
on
the
mechanism
of
consultations
between
India
and
GCC.

Exchanged
views
on
the
current
regional
and
global
situation
and
the
relevance
of
India-GCC
cooperation
in
that
context,”
Jaishankar
tweeted.
The
GCC
is
a
regional,
intergovernmental,
political,
and
economic
union
comprising
Bahrain,
Kuwait,
Oman,
Qatar,
Saudi
Arabia,
and
the
United
Arab
Emirates.
India
enjoys
traditionally
cordial
relations
and
cooperation
with
the
GCC.
Earlier
this
year,
there
was
an
unease
in
India’s
ties
with
some
Muslim-majority
countries,
including
Gulf
nations,
over
the
controversial
remarks
of
two
former
BJP
leaders
on
the
Prophet
Mohammad.
All
six
GCC
nations
had
condemned
the
remarks.