India-Saudi strategic Summit: PM Modi and Crown Prince MBS advocate for implementation of middle-east corridor
India-Saudi strategic Summit: Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister and Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House today. This meeting comes as part of the Saudi Crown Prince's three-day visit to India, which follows his participation in the G20 Summit.
The Ministry of External Affairs had previously announced that the Saudi Crown Prince would be attending the G20 Summit hosted by India on September 9-10, 2023. His state visit will continue on September 11, 2023.
Before the meeting with PM Modi, a ceremonial reception will be held in honor of the Saudi Crown Prince at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi at 10 am.
Following their discussions at Hyderabad House, the Saudi Crown Prince is expected to sign the minutes of the inaugural meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, which will take place at the same venue around 12 noon.
Subsequently, the Saudi Arabian Prime Minister will meet with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Saudi Crown Prince is set to depart from New Delhi around 8:30 pm. This visit marks his second state visit to India, with his previous state visit occurring in February 2019.
The Prince arrived at Delhi's Palam airbase on Friday to participate in the 18th G20 Leaders' Summit. During the summit, India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union announced a historic agreement to launch a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled this ambitious project on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, alongside US President Joe Biden, Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and leaders of the European Union. The initiative is a groundbreaking cooperation effort on connectivity and infrastructure, involving India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the EU, France, Italy, Germany, and the US.
Addressing the G20 Summit at the Bharat Mandapam venue, PM Modi emphasized that this mega-deal will provide a sustainable direction for global connectivity and sustainability. He congratulated all the leaders involved in the connectivity corridor.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, speaking at the same forum, expressed his anticipation for the integration of the initiative and the Economic Corridor project announced during the meeting. He extended his gratitude to those involved in establishing this crucial economic corridor.
Moreover, alongside the G20 Leaders' Summit, Saudi Arabia hosted a three-day event called 'Media Oasis.' This immersive and interactive experience showcased Saudi Arabia's leading projects in various sectors, including tourism, entertainment, technology, culture, and sports. The exhibit's overarching theme was 'Vision 2030,' a Saudi Arabian initiative aimed at diversifying the country economically, socially, and culturally.
The event was organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media and featured initiatives from various Saudi government entities, including the Ministry of Culture, Invest Saudi, Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Energy, Red Sea Global, SDAIA, FII Institute, Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Konoz, and CGC.
India and Saudi Arabia share cordial and friendly relations rooted in centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1947, followed by high-level visits from both sides. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia stands as India's fourth-largest trading partner, with over 18 percent of India's crude oil imports originating from Saudi Arabia.
- With inputs from agencies
