Saudi Gazette report
NEW DELHI — Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting with India’s President Droupadi Murmu at the Presidential Palace (Rashtrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi on Monday. The Crown Prince attended a banquet dinner hosted by the president in his honor. The dinner was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the accompanying Saudi delegation.
Speaking on the occasion, the Crown Prince reaffirmed his keenness to further enhance strategic partnership between the two countries in all fields. On her part, President Murmu appreciated the role of Saudi Arabia as a positive force for peace and stability. She expressed confidence that this visit of the Crown Prince and his participation in the G20 Summit would further strengthen the multifaceted partnership between India and Saudi Arabia.
At the outset of the meeting, the Crown Prince conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to President Murmu. “I would like to extend my gratitude for the warm hospitality we received. We highly value the historical relationship with India, and Saudi Arabia looks forward to strengthening the relationship in all fields and elevating it to new horizons,” he said.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that the establishment of the Saudi-India Strategic Partnership Council has had an important impact on the relationship, and Saudi Arabia anticipates that it will have an even greater impact in the future. “The fruitful discussions we had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed our common desire to enhance our strategic partnership in all fields and to build on improvements to achieve more success that benefits our peoples and enhances world stability. The shared points of view between our two countries on many regional and international issues contribute to confronting common challenges and help achieve security and stability in the region and the world, especially through our two countries’ membership in the G20,” he said.
The Crown Prince hoped that his visit would contribute to developing the prospects for the relationship and cooperation between the two countries in a greater and broader way.
Earlier, welcoming the Crown Prince, President Murmu said that Saudi Arabia is one of India’s most important strategic partners. She expressed happiness while noting that bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia have strengthened considerably over the past few years. “In the modern world, India-Saudi Arabia’s shared cultural experiences, economic synergies and shared commitment towards a peaceful and sustainable world make us natural partners,” she said.
Murmu said that the economic component of India-Saudi Arabia partnership has also grown in recent years. “There are ample opportunities for increasing Saudi investments in India across several different sectors. Saudi Arabia has embraced a large number of Indian expatriates, and given them space to flourish and grow.” “Through their hard work and professionalism, they have made significant contributions to Saudi Arabia’s growth and prosperity,” she said while thanking Saudi Arabia for looking after them.