Metropolis Desk-
Following the arrival of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, analysts told Arab News that Saudi Arabia and India are increasing their geopolitical weight through strategic partnership.
Monday’s inaugural meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council was co-chaired by the crown prince and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the former’s visit to New Delhi, which saw both nations sign about 50 preliminary agreements and decide to establish a joint task force for a $100 billion Saudi investment in India.
The fact that the crown prince’s state visit occurred right after the weekend summit of the Group of 20 biggest economies in the Indian capital is a sign, according to observers, of the importance the two nations have on their bilateral relations.
“Symbolism lies in the fact that he was there for the G20 and he was the only world leader who was accorded the status of the state visit,” said Navdeep Singh Suri, a former Indian diplomat and specialist in the Middle East, to Arab News. Given that the G20’s top leaders were present, “that is indeed something quite remarkable.”
Working more closely together, Saudi Arabia and India might have a positive influence on the region, according to Suri.
Middle-power nations like Saudi Arabia and India want to cooperate to expand their options and increase their level of autonomy, according to Suri.
“When two big nations work together closely and forge strategic alliances, it benefits not just the two nations involved but also the entire region,”
The Middle East Institute’s Mohammed Soliman, the director, told Arab News that improved Saudi-Indian ties, which have been strengthened in several areas, have also increased their geopolitical clout in Asia. These areas include defense, food security, high-tech innovation, physical and digital infrastructure, and both.
‘The visit reaffirms the two regional powers’ commitment to fostering integration between West Asia and the Indo-Pacific as well as the importance of their role in guiding the development of a transregional economic and security framework suitable for this multipolar age,” Soliman said.
“Saudi Arabia and India are stepping up their collaboration on strategic issues that are crucial to the stability and integration of the region… Both countries view bilateral relations as a means of boosting their economies as well as establishing geopolitical dominance in the area.” He continued.
Source- Arab News
