On the occasion of the 56th Republic Day of India, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia.
We have a long history of close and friendly ties and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Though the diplomatic ties between the two countries are more than 50 years old, we have steadily built a strong foundation of friendship sustained by our shared values of democracy and human freedom and our recognition of each other’s standing in the community of nations. We are committed to further development of our freindly relationship.
India today is a vibrant democracy, an emerging economic power, and home to one of the largest pools of trained manpower. India is perceived to be the next trillion-dollar economy in the making and is already the fourth largest economy in the world. Most of the indicators point to a buoyant economy slated to grow by 6.3 percent.
One of the biggest challenges of the new millennium is the rise of terrorism as a global phenomenon. Unfortunate incidents of terrorism in Saudi Arabia, India and other parts of the world, have amply demonstrated that the menace of terrorism needs to be combated through concerted international cooperation. The International Conference on Combating Terrorism being hosted by the Kingdom next month is a welcome step in this direction.
The Indian community in this country is making a significant contribution toward building a stronger India-Saudi Arabia partnership. I would like to use this opportunity to pay tribute to this community and to recognize their valuable contribution.
The tsunami caused extensive damage and loss of human lives in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry. The government mounted massive relief and rescue operations. We are deeply appreciative of the offers of help, which poured in from several countries, including Saudi Arabia. The members of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia have also displayed their commitment to nation building through their generous contributions. On this auspicious day, I applaud the Indian community for consistently upholding the best values of our nation and playing such a significant role in promoting our nation’s interests abroad.
Jai Hind.
M.O.H Farook, Ambassador of India