Saudi Arabia, India Urge Greater Int’l Action to Counter Terrorism

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined on Wednesday the need to counter terrorism and extremism.

In a joint statement at the conclusion of the Saudi royal’s two-day official visit to India, they called for the need “for concerted action by the international community against terrorism including through early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.”

Affirming that the menace of extremism and terrorism threatens all nations and societies, the two sides rejected any attempt to link this universal phenomenon to any particular race, religion or culture. They called on all states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries; dismantle terrorism infrastructures where they happen to exist and to cut off any kind of support and financing to the terrorists perpetrating terrorism from all territories against other states; and bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism to justice.

They urged all countries to renounce the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. They also called upon all states to deny access to weapons including missiles and drones to commit terrorist acts against other countries.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia and India stressed the importance of regional stability and good neighboring relations. The Crown Prince highlighted in this regard Modi’s consistent efforts to develop friendly relations with Pakistan. Both sides therefore, agreed on the need for the creation of conditions necessary for resumption of the comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan.

The Crown Prince and Modi also condemned in the strongest terms last week's terrorist attack on Indian security forces in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting the centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties, continued the statement.

“The bilateral discussions were held in the spirit of strong friendship that binds the two countries and their leaders. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress made in diverse fields including trade, energy, security and cultural spheres since Modi’s landmark visit to Riyadh in April 2016 – a visit which served to enhance our engagement and take our relations to the next level.”

Modi welcomed the recent changes initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed to introduce moderation and openness in Saudi Arabia while the Crown Prince conveyed his appreciation for the Indian model of ethos of inclusiveness, pluralism and tolerance.

The two sides reaffirmed their deep commitment to strengthen the “strategic partnership” envisaged in the “Riyadh Declaration” of February 2010. The two sides agreed to cement the existing partnership with a high-level monitoring mechanism by the creation of Strategic Partnership Council led by the Crown Prince.

Taking note of the positive trend in the bilateral trade over the recent years, the two sides acknowledged the huge untapped potential available in the merchandise trade, particularly in the non-oil trade. They also stressed the importance of increasing trade volume between the two countries, and eliminating export barriers.

They agreed to further deepen trade and investment cooperation by aligning the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and its 13 Vision Realization Programs with India's flagship initiatives of "Make in India", "Start Up India", "Smart Cities", "Clean India" and "Digital India".

Saudi Arabia expressed its readiness to attract Indian private and public sector investments and expertise in the upcoming mega projects in Saudi Arabia.

The Crown Prince reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to meet India's growing needs for crude oil and petroleum products and substitute for any shortages that may arise as a result of any disruptions from other sources.

Modi also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance. Saudi Arabia and India agreed to cooperate in the areas of space, science and technology, including remote sensing, satellite communication and satellite-based navigation.

They welcomed the recent developments in India-Saudi cooperation in the defense sector, particularly in the fields of exchange of expertise and training, especially after the MoU on Defense Cooperation signed during King Salman’s visit to India in February 2014. They agreed to hold the inaugural joint naval exercises at the earliest and agreed to further expand bilateral exercises in other domains.

Noting the potential and mutual benefit, they agreed to cooperate and collaborate in joint defense production of spare parts for Naval and Land systems as well as supply chain development, in line with Make in India and Vision 2030.