RIYADH, 20 April 2008 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday held talks with Pranab Mukherjee, India’s minister of external affairs. They renewed their pledge to boost strategic, commercial and cultural links between the two countries.
Following their talks here, King Abdullah and Mukherjee agreed to “upgrade the buyer-seller relationship between the two countries to a more participatory one for mutual benefits.”
“My talks with King Abdullah focused on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues,” Mukherjee told reporters. “We discussed the need to find out ways and means to ensure comprehensive peace in the Middle East, which has always been supported by India as a sovereign democratic nation and an ally of the Arab world.”
The meeting is the first of a series of high-level talks the Indian foreign minister is scheduled to attend during his two-day visit. Mukherjee is expected to meet Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman today.
“My visit provides an opportunity for an in-depth discussion on a wide range of issues pertaining to political, economic, commercial and cultural matters, and on matters relating to the welfare of Indian nationals working here,” he said.
Investment Opportunities
Mukherjee was optimistic about growing Saudi-Indian relations and called on Saudi businessmen to tap investment opportunities in India. “The Indian economy requires huge investment, particularly in infrastructure. This sector alone can absorb $500 to $600 billion,” he said.
“King Abdullah’s visit to India laid down a road map for future bilateral cooperation... it enhanced the content and quality of ties, especially in the economic and commercial spheres as well as in the education and health sectors,” he added.
“We need to accelerate the momentum generated by King Abdullah’s visit,” said Mukherjee. “This is an exclusive visit to the Kingdom, keeping in view the importance that we attach to our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia.”
Commenting on conflicts within the region, Mukherjee said, “India has shared interests with the Kingdom for there to be peace and stability in the region... India has faced the scourge of terrorism aided and abetted from aboard for more than two decades.”
He added that the Kingdom is an important partner in combating global terrorism and commended King Abdullah for hosting the International Counter-Terrorism Conference in February 2005.
“Both India and Saudi Arabia are of the opinion that stability, territorial integrity and independence of Iraq is a must for the security and peace of the region,” he said. “We also hold the view that a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue should be reached diplomatically and not through force.”
On the commercial front, Mukherjee said he is hopeful of future growth in trade and investment relations. Current bilateral trade exceeds $15.97 billion annually, including India’s oil imports from Saudi Arabia.
