A meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud took place in Jeddah on Sunday.
He wrote in a tweet, “Honorable to meet HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this evening in Jeddah. I conveyed PM Narendra Modi’s warm greetings. I informed him of the progress of our bilateral relations. Thank him for sharing his vision of our ties with me.” Jaishankar had earlier met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and co-chaired the PSSC committee of the India-Saudi Partnership Council.
In a tweet, Jaishankar said: “Warm and productive meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan this afternoon. Co-chair of the Political, Security, Social and Cultural Committee of the India-Saudi Partnership Council.”
The Indian External Affairs Minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, beginning a two-day visit.
In addition to reviewing the entire bilateral relationship, the two Ministers will also discuss the progress of the PSSC Committee’s four Joint Working Groups, which are Political & Consular, Legal & Security, Social and Cultural, and Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation, according to the MEA earlier.
A number of meetings have been held between these groups and senior officials (at the secretary level) in the past few months, according to the release.
Additionally, both sides will discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, including their cooperation at the United Nations, Group of Twenty (G20), and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
In addition to meeting other Saudi dignitaries, Jaishankar will meet Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf.
There will be a review of bilateral relations and a discussion of ways in which they can be enhanced by both parties. Indian community members in Saudi Arabia will also be contacted by the minister.
There has been considerable improvement in Indian-Saudi relations over the past few years, including issues related to politics, security, energy, trade, investment, health, food security, culture, and defence.Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the top leadership of both countries stayed in close contact.
