Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had high-level discussions on Tuesday in Jeddah, co-chairing the second session of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) before Modi curtailed his visit in response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Even though the trip ended with a suddenness, the negotiations represented an important milestone towards fostering the strategic link between the two countries on significant areas of defense, energy, investment, and cultural ties.
The two leaders made the announcement in a meeting that the two new Ministerial Committees under the SPC umbrella are to be set up: one on Defence Cooperation and another on Tourism and Cultural Cooperation. The two new committees raise the number of SPC committees to four, with the already existing ones dealing with Political, Consular, and Security Cooperation, and Economy, Energy, Investment, and Technology.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global matters of interest and discussed development under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) initiative. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal cited the intensity of the talks and said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had strongly denounced the recent Pahalgam terror attack and conveyed his sympathy to India on the loss of lives.
Moreover, economic cooperation was also one of the prime subjects, where both nations mutually agreed to work together on building two oil refineries in India. The success achieved by the High-Level Task Force on Investment (HLTF) was also appreciated, especially in tackling taxation and opening the door for subsequent investment opportunities.
In reaction to the fatal attack in J&K, which killed 16 individuals and injured many, Prime Minister Modi took the tough call to shorten his visit. He canceled his scheduled speech to the Indian community in Saudi Arabia and a state dinner and flew back to India immediately to handle the situation as it unfolded.
In spite of the abbreviated character of the visit, the negotiations underlined the common interest of India and Saudi Arabia in strengthening their strategic relationship and promoting cooperation on issues vital to both countries' interests. New committees and common understandings over major projects such as energy and investment mark the intensification of bilateral cooperation with a focus on regional stability, economic growth, and cultural bonds.
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