This is the first time ever in the past 11 years in power that Mr Modi has cut short his visit abroad due to such a situation
New Delhi: Following the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to the Saudi port city of Jeddah after a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the Prime Minister of the influential Gulf nation. During the meeting, four MoUs were inked between the two nations, including in the fields of space, health and anti-doping efforts.
This is the first time ever in the past 11 years in power that Mr Modi has cut short his visit abroad due to such a situation. Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan said the terror attack had been discussed during the meeting between the two leaders and that the Saudi Crown Prince strongly condemned the attack and offered any help that India needed on this matter.
Besides the four MoUs between the two nations, there was also broad agreement on taxation-related issues to give an impetus to Saudi investment, the Indian envoy said at a special MEA briefing in Jeddah.
The Prime Minister and the Saudi Crown Prince also co-chaired the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council and decided to expand it to include two more subcommittees, including one on defence cooperation, the Indian ambassador further said. A discussion on the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) also took place at the meeting, with both sides endorsing the benefits of the proposed connectivity project, he added.
Earlier in the day, Mr Modi also held an interaction with the Indian community in Saudi Arabia.
But the shadow of the heinous Pahalgam terror attack hung heavy on Tuesday over the Prime Minister’s visit to the Saudi port city of Jeddah that was to have lasted over Wednesday as per the initial schedule.
After the terror attack in Pahalgam, Mr Modi "strongly condemned the terror attack and vowed that those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice. It may be recalled that even in 2019, after the Pulwama terror attack and India’s retaliation at Balakot in Pakistan against terror targets, the Saudis are believed to have spoken with both the Indian and Pakistani leadership to avert a full-fledged conflict between the two nations. It remains unclear whether the Saudis will play a similar role now in the face of continued Pakistani-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister landed in Jeddah. ”This visit will strengthen the friendship between India and Saudi Arabia. Eager to take part in the various programmes today and tomorrow,” Mr Modi posted on X.
As a special gesture, the Prime Minister's aircraft was escorted by F15s of the Royal Saudi Air Force in the Saudi airspace. The foreign minister said Mr Modi described Saudi Arabia as “a trusted friend and strategic ally”, emphasising the significant expansion of bilateral relations since the creation of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council in 2019.
In his departure statement ahead of the visit in the morning, the PM said, “Today, I embark on a two-day state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister… India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years."
"Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership, including in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy and people-to-people ties. We have shared interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability,” he added.
