The North News
New Delhi, April 22
Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for a two days state visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday, marking his third trip to the Gulf nation in the past decade and his first to the historic city of Jeddah. In an official statement before leaving, Modi said the visit is taking place at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders are scheduled to participate in the second meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, a forum aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation across a broad spectrum of sectors.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister underlined the importance India places on its relationship with the Kingdom. “India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years,” he wrote. “Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership including in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy and people-to-people ties.”
Modi added that the visit will build on the “highly successful” state visit of Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India in 2023, during which several agreements were signed and key priorities were outlined in areas such as infrastructure, renewable energy, and counter-terrorism cooperation.
The Prime Minister also highlighted his plans to engage with the Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia, calling them a “living bridge between our nations” and commending their contributions to strengthening bilateral cultural and human ties.
The visit is being closely watched as both nations seek to bolster their roles in regional peace and stability, while deepening cooperation in strategic sectors in the face of global realignments.
