India and Saudi Arabia relations

[Spring Onion]

First of all get the facts straight then talk about unnecessary things of kashmir solutions. Indo-SA meet is to discuss Security and Economic cooperation not to discuss bilaterals between India and Pakistan.

Why dont you read before opening your mouth.



Saudi could play interlocutor's role in Indo-Pak ties - Oneindia News

Riyadh(Saudi Arabia), Feb 28 (ANI): Keeping Saudi Arabia's close relationship with Pakistan in view, India is hoping to convince Riyadh to play the role of an interlocutor with the objective of improving ties between the two South Asian neighbours.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told reporters here on the sidelines of the Indian delegation's meeting with the Saudi leadership that: " We feel Saudi Arabia has long and close relationship with Pakistan and that makes Saudi a more valuable interlocutor to us".

Both India and Saudi Arabia face similar threats and dangers from common forces and both, feel the need to have detailed discussions on issues relating to the troubled AFPAK region.

According to India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Talmiz Ahmed, " Saudi is very concerned about the inability of Pakistani leadership to control extremist elements within their country. Saudi is also concerned about what is happening in Afghanistan."

India and Saudi Arabia see terrorism as a common battle. Both countries plan to create a mechanism for real time information sharing and pooling of resources.

Tharoor revealed that Saudi Arabia has its own issues with Al Qaeda and understands that the Qaeda is a different side of same coin.

"We expect to have a constructive conversation on the issue. The tentacles of terror have already spread from Afghanistan to Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, and latest is Yemen," he added.

Although New Delhi and Riyadh have found common ground on the issue of terrorism, Saudi Arabia is yet to come out in support of a comprehensive convention on terrorism. It still has a problem with the language and definition of what constitutes state-sponsored terrorism. (ANI)

 

[Spring Onion]

I hope you are aware of the fact that two wrongs don't make right?

Anyways, I'm not active on other Indian defense forums... so can't comment in this regard.

Indeed and nobody is implying that either.

All i am telling you that before pointing finger you should be little honest and accept that this forum is the only one on earth that gives Indians all fair, equal rights as it does give us.

 

[Isaq Khan]

Kingdom’s ‘look East’ policy has a new meaning for India

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Feb 28, 2010 12:54 AM Updated: Feb 28, 2010 12:54 AM

Bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and India have come a long way since the maiden visit of late King Saud to India way back in 1953.

Old trade and religious ties between these two ancient lands have strengthened and Saudi Arabia and India have emerged as partners in trade, investment and joint ventures, besides politics and manpower. As the Kingdom remains the principal source of India’s oil requirements, escalating demand for energy security has been increasing India’s sensitivity to the region.

New Delhi expects good relations and an uninterrupted flow of oil to fuel its growth. But enhancing its influence in the Gulf, particularly in Saudi Arabia, can provide India with not just energy security but with a diplomatic gateway to the broader Middle East as well. Yet despite the importance of the situation, India’s diplomatic presence in the Gulf is not up to the mark.

“The visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Riyadh creates an opportunity and provides a road map on how to boost Indian presence on political and diplomatic fronts in this region,” said Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad in a recent interview with Arab News.

Ahmad said that New Delhi and Riyadh share common approaches on several regional and international issues and India should maintain an engagement to enhance the security of the region including Afghanistan. The remarks made by Ahmad are significant keeping in view the Kingdom’s “Look East” policy, which has now a new meaning for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

India now has to further India’s profile in the Gulf and seriously engage the region with economic incentives and structures, aggressively pushing India’s corporate interests and policy agendas.

While Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has been remarkably astute to continually engage India — making a landmark visit in January 2006 as chief guest of India’s Republic Day festivities — reaction and reciprocation from the Indian side has also been very encouraging. Top Indian political leaders visited Riyadh, and the diplomatic presence in the Kingdom was in a way upgraded by posting veteran diplomats like Ahmad, who has arrived recently as new India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Undeniably, India’s strategic relations with Saudi Arabia have to be strengthened further and more confidence building measures are to be taken to bring the two great nations even closer.

“Saudi Arabia has supported granting observer status to India in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and has expanded its cooperation with India to fight terrorism,” said Saudi Ambassador to India Faisal H. Trad, who is currently in Riyadh.

King Abdullah became the first Saudi king in 51 years to visit New Delhi when he visited the country in 2006. An Indo-Saudi joint declaration described the king’s visit as “heralding a new era in India-Saudi Arabia relations”.

On trade front, the two countries have done better. While it is true that since the 1990s India’s economic liberalization has helped improve trade with Saudi Arabia, it is also true that the flow of trade between the two countries is lopsided.

The Saudis annually supply India with nearly 175 million barrels of crude oil, around a quarter of its needs. India’s current exports to Saudi Arabia are far less than the Saudi exports to India. This is an imbalance that India needs to address. The two-way trade, which is growing consistently, has been in the region of $25 billion.

Strong efforts in the diplomatic space can dramatically expand trade and cooperation in fields like telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, health services, information technology, biotechnology and construction.

As developing countries, India and Saudi Arabia need a two-way flow of investment in infrastructure and development.

Indian firms are likely to show a great deal of interest in the Saudi market in light of recent Saudi laws that permit the establishment of large joint venture projects or wholly-owned subsidiaries in the Kingdom.

Kingdom?s ?look East? policy has a new meaning for India - Arab News

 

[EjazR]

Well its just ageneral statement to discuss extremism in the region, Just a standard statement was always.


India is going to mess up things in Afghanistan and not solve it simple as that.

As far as handing over "Suspects" in Mumbai attacks then we need to understand that it silly to demand such a thing because its "suspects" that too suspected by India and not proven.

If India is pressing religoulsy this point then i would see if India should also demand the same from US in case of Headly who is not a suspect but has been accused of practically taken part in preparations.

Well looks like I spoke too soon. New clarification that it was only about KSA being an interlocutor not mediator.

And Pakistan might hand over some suspects after all if we are to believe Shahzad's sources in GoP. http://www.defence.pk/forums/strate...d-ready-deal-india-asia-times.html#post697341. It will go a long way in mending our relations.

Afghanistan, I don't think India can mess it up any more than what it has been messed up in the past 20-30 years by its own neighbors.



Shashi denies Saudi remark, BJP fumes
India Blooms News Service
Riyadh/New Delhi, Feb 28 (IBNS): Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has denied that he meant Saudi Arabia would mediate between India and Pakistan for talks when he suggested an interlocutory role for the Middle Eastern nation where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is currently visiting.

He said he never said Saudi Arabia would be a mediator in India-Pakistan talks.

The Ministry of External Affairs sources told journalists in New Delhi that India in no way would suggest a mediation by a third country in India-Pakistan bilateral talks even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to slam the government and Tharoor for the alleged remark.

Speaking on the sidelines of the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral meet, that is on here, Tharoor said, "Saudi Arabia can be a valuable interlocutor for India and Pakistan."

The remark created a political uproar back home.

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: "With what authority Tharoor spoke for mediation." He said Tharoor must explain why he said so since India has always opposed third party mediation in Indo-Pak issues.

According to Tharoor, Saudi Arabia understands the problems faced by India and Pakistan because it has its own problems involving Al Qaeda and terrorism.

"When we tell Saudi Arabia about out problems, they listen," he said.

India has always considered the Indo-Pak problems as a bilateral issue and refused to involve any third party in the process.

India and Pakistan resumed talks on Feb 25 with a foreign secretary level meeting in New Delhi after a prolonged hiatus caused by the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008.

Tharoor ran into several controversies before with his independent comments, especially on Twitter, on various issues which were later denied as not official stands of the government.

 

[Isaq Khan]

India - PM’s remarks the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry

I am grateful to the Council of Saudi Chambers and Industry for giving me this opportunity to interact with such a distinguished group of business leaders. I would also like to thank the business leaders from India who have travelled here today.

I have had some association with the evolution of the India-Saudi Arabia economic partnership. As the Finance Minister of India, I attended the 4th session of the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission in 1994. This is my first visit to Saudi Arabia as Prime Minister. A lot has changed between then and now in our bilateral relations, in our two economies and in the global environment.

The visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India in January 2006 was a defining moment in our relations. The landmark Delhi Declaration that His Majesty and I signed identified higher flows of trade and investment, better connectivity and exchange of ideas as the central pillars of our joint vision for an enhanced economic partnership.

I look forward to my dialogue later today with His Majesty to carry forward the momentum and take the entire gamut of our relations to even greater heights. I believe this is not only eminently possible, but also necessary.

Since 1990, Saudi Arabia's economy has quadrupled in size. It has undergone substantial diversification with the strengthening of the non-oil sector. The ambitious economic cities that are proposed to be set up have the potential to further transform the Saudi economy. All these developments have and will widen employment opportunities for the growing young population in Saudi Arabia, and enhance Saudi Arabia’s economic weight globally.

India, too, has registered significant growth. We are in the midst of a major socio-economic transformation. Our economy has grown at an average annual rate of over nine percent in the last few years. Despite the global economic slowdown, we hope to achieve a growth rate of over 7 percent in the current financial year. We expect to get back to the growth level of about 9 percent per annum within two years. Our domestic saving rates are high, and can support investment rates of as high as 38 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. India is an economy with a huge market, and a young and expanding work force. We have a vibrant and innovative private sector.

Both countries have in place a sound institutional mechanism to facilitate trade and investment, including a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement. Eight meetings of the Joint Commission have been held, the last having met in October 2009. We cooperate within the framework of the India-GCC Industrial Conference, and negotiations are in progress to finalise a India-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement.

We deeply value Saudi Arabia’s role as a reliable partner in meeting our energy needs. We believe that conditions are ripe for moving beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship to a comprehensive energy partnership. Indian companies are well equipped to participate in upstream and downstream oil and gas sector projects in Saudi Arabia. We should also establish new partnerships in the area of new and renewable energy through sharing of clean technologies and joint collaborations.

The robust growth of our economies offer immense opportunities for business communities from both sides. Our bilateral trade has reached almost 25 billion US dollars in 2008-09. Indian investments into the Kingdom have risen considerably and today stand at more than 2 billion US dollars covering over 500 joint ventures. Several major Indian companies have already established their presence in the Kingdom. Our public sector company, RITES has recently won a contract to participate in the North-South Railways project. There is however potential for doing much more.

India’s needs for high quality modern infrastructure are vast. We have opened our doors to foreign investment and I invite investors and entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia to explore investment opportunities in India.

I would specifically refer to the construction, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, health, agriculture, energy, telecommunications, tourism and other service sectors.

We should also look at new areas of cooperation. Education and skill development are of primary importance to both our countries. India has a proven track record in the field of knowledge-based industries, which have great potential for improving the skill set of the work force. India would be happy to share her experience with Saudi Arabia in the area of human resources development. Cooperation in the areas of science and technology and space technology are other areas for future cooperation.

I would encourage greater exchanges among the Chambers, industry associations and business houses of both sides. More frequent participation in trade fairs and exhibitions will create greater awareness of each others’ capabilities. I can assure you that the government will extend its full support to the expansion of business-to-business links between our two countries.

The integration of our economies with the rest of the world has created new opportunities but also brought new challenges. The global financial crisis has thrown up a broad agenda for global action and reforms. The role of emerging economies such as India and Saudi Arabia within the G-20 framework and otherwise will be crucial to the restructuring of the global economic and financial architecture.

We view our economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the wider context of our interactions with the entire Gulf region. This is an area with which we have deep and historical ties. The Gulf countries are our natural partners in every sense of the term. Indians are the largest expatriate community in every country of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Our businesses should work together across the region, develop cross-country linkages and leverage economies of scale.

l am confident that such interactions will bring vitality and dynamism in the cooperation between our two economies. India sees Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner for promoting peace, stability and economic development. Such a partnership will bring benefits not only to our two countries but to the region we both belong to, and to the world at large.

Thank you

India - PM’s remarks the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Pakistan Foreign should be policy:
1. If India goes to Saudi Arab , Pakistan should go to Iran and vice versa.
2. If India goes to USA , Pakistan should to Russia (apologies for the past) and vice versa.
3. If India goes to other Arabs , Pakistan should go to Israel and vice versa.
else India will isolate Pakistan for good.

 

[Omar1984]

Pakistan Foreign should be policy:
1. If India goes to Saudi Arab , Pakistan should go to Iran and vice versa.
2. If India goes to USA , Pakistan should to Russia (apologies for the past) and vice versa.
3. If India goes to other Arabs , Pakistan should go to Israel and vice versa.
else India will isolate Pakistan for good.

Pakistan will not go to Israel, just forget about that. Pakistan doesnt even recognize Israel, and zionists will always hate Pakistan. I dont think Pakistan should trust Russia either, they know the reason why Soviet Empire fell was mostly because of ISI.

However, theres no harm in improving Pakistan-Iran relations, Pakistan should make more trips to Iran.

India's government (not most indian people) have lots of money and Saudis want to do business with them, thats it nothing more.

 

[harun786]

not even south asia

Hi Bro,

R we still living in a world of dreams, come on mate , wake up and stop thinking that Saudi will take our side because India sleeps with Israel, come give me a break.

Saudis are interested in money , and nothing else, don't we all get this , come on When will we come out from this thinking.

Saudis will think who will help them when they are in trouble, and if it is not us then who else , and in that bargain they find out if Indian can do the work , then they will still keep good relationship with INDIA and would not care for us.

If you ask me we should stand on our feet and not think who will help us in the time of crisis.

this is my thought NO OFFENSE

H

 

[Ingis]

Pakistan Foreign should be policy:
1. If India goes to Saudi Arab , Pakistan should go to Iran and vice versa.
2. If India goes to USA , Pakistan should to Russia (apologies for the past) and vice versa.
3. If India goes to other Arabs , Pakistan should go to Israel and vice versa.
else India will isolate Pakistan for good.

All those countries you mentioned already have excellent, strategic relations with India. Highly doubt they will sacrifice their ties with India for the sake of Pakistan.

The only people who have more strategic links with you are Arabs. But even that is changing --

India, Qatar ink key defence pact

PM sees Saudi Arabia as strategic partner: Rediff.com India News

As for Iran, that nation will never interfere in India-Pakistan issues. It already has too many problems to deal with. Besides, India has also has strong economic ties with Iran and economic ties do buy political influence.

 

[Patriotic_Pakistani]

Hi Bro,

R we still living in a world of dreams, come on mate , wake up and stop thinking that Saudi will take our side because India sleeps with Israel, come give me a break.

Saudis are interested in money , and nothing else, don't we all get this , come on When will we come out from this thinking.

Saudis will think who will help them when they are in trouble, and if it is not us then who else , and in that bargain they find out if Indian can do the work , then they will still keep good relationship with INDIA and would not care for us.

If you ask me we should stand on our feet and not think who will help us in the time of crisis.

this is my thought NO OFFENSE

H

I agree with ur post bro...as We have to be clear that there is no brotherhood in business and diplomacy, every country sees its own advantage regardless of the religion, faith etc.. the welcome i see for indian pm in Saudi Arabia, the winds are changing direction..

 

[harun786]

I agree with ur post bro...as We have to be clear that there is no brotherhood in business and diplomacy, every country sees its own advantage regardless of the religion, faith etc.. the welcome i see for Indian pm in Saudi Arabia, the winds are changing direction..

Exactly , We need to change our thinking, What we are doing is not only bad for our image around the world , but about keeping us and giving us false hope and false sense of security.

Saudis can do anything and everything with India it is none of our business.

Think if they were so good pals with us , then they would not have even try to have good relationship with India as every one know we don't share friendly relationship with India.

Secondly it is time we understand that this thinking will not takes us far.

Take our example , we being an Islamic state are helping US to fight against Our own Muslim brothers Rite and we are expecting that Saudis should not. We cant have it both ways

H

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

All those countries you mentioned already have excellent, strategic relations with India. Highly doubt they will sacrifice their ties with India for the sake of Pakistan.

The only people who have more strategic links with you are Arabs. But even that is changing --

India, Qatar ink key defence pact

PM sees Saudi Arabia as strategic partner: Rediff.com India News

As for Iran, that nation will never interfere in India-Pakistan issues. It already has too many problems to deal with. Besides, India has also has strong economic ties with Iran and economic ties do buy political influence.

When India will buy F-18s Russians will be hurt and then we can ask for better engines for Jf-17s

 

[LCA Tejas]

When India will buy F-18s Russians will be hurt and then we can ask for better engines for Jf-17s

Our relationship with Russia is not just in buying and selling ..... Its even more than what you can think of... there is no need for them to be upset about, we are having a long term defense plans with them....

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Our relationship with Russia is not just in buying and selling ..... Its even more than what you can think of... there is no need for them to be upset about, we are having a long term defense plans with them....

The day IAF will taste US jets they will dislike Russian recipes and Russia knows that.

 

[LCA Tejas]

The day IAF will taste US jets they will dislike Russian recipes and Russia knows that.

How on earth can you say that.... Our military is strong, the main reason is russia, what has USA helped us with, in the past too we have defense deals with USA, but thos deals can never match those that are between India and Russia... And I dont think India would go for F-18..

USA gives PAk F-16, then to India F-18.. then they will offer pakistan with something more better.. they play games with us... But Russia is not like that to us... they help us develop... USA does not do that, they want themself to be dominant but russia on the other hand wants India to be as dominant as they are and helping us though the way....