Saudi Arabia is believed to be a traditional ally of Pakistan. It conducts its affairs in all international forums including groups of Islamic countries in that manner. The joint press conference where the Arabs made friendly overtures to India is a new chapter in the bilateral relations.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Wednesday gave a joint statement on strategic ties between the two countries after the Pulwama massacre.
The leaders witnessed the exchange of MoUs between the two countries.
“Saudi Arabia is one of India's most valuable strategic partners. Our relations have grown stronger. I welcome Saudi investment in Indian infrastructure,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi
PM Modi also welcomed Saudi Arabia in the International Solar Alliance. “We also discussed how to further strengthen our defence cooperation,” he added.
Talking about terrorism, the Indian Prime Minister said that the barbaric terror attack in Pulwama is but a sign of the dangerous times the world is living in. “We agree that the countries that support terrorism must be reined in,” he added.
Agreeing with India, the Crown Prince also said, “Extremism & terrorism are our common concerns. We would like to tell our friend India that we'll cooperate on all fronts, be it intelligence sharing. We'll work with everyone to ensure a brighter future for our upcoming generations.”
The Crown Prince arrived in New Delhi on a less than 30-hour visit Tuesday night, a day after concluding his high-profile tour of Pakistan where he said dialogue was the only way to resolve "outstanding issues" between India and Pakistan.
In a special gesture, Modi received Salman at the airport here, signifying the importance India attaches to the visit by the leader of the Gulf nation.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday slammed PM Modi and asked whether according a "grand welcome" to those who praised Pakistan's "anti-terror" efforts was his way of remembering the Pulwama attack martyrs.
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