New Delhi: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said that terrorism is a common concern and he assured full cooperation with you. The Crown Prince arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday and will hold bilateral talks with India.
“We agreed that to combat terrorism, there is a need to put pressure on countries which support terror in any form,” said PM Modi during a joint press conference at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
We agreed that there is a need to increase pressure on the countries which support terrorism, Modi added.
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said “Extremism and terrorism are our common concerns. We would like to tell our friend India that we’ll cooperate on all fronts, be it intelligence sharing. We’ll work with everyone to ensure a brighter future for our upcoming generations.”
As a part of the bilateral talks Saudi Arabia also signed the International Solar Alliance, the 73rd country to do so.
The Prince was accorded a ceremonial reception with a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he was received by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The prince, MBS as he is popularly known, will meet Modi later today, with his business mission under threat of being overshadowed by soaring tensions between India and Pakistan.
Watch LIVE: Ceremonial Reception of Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, at Rashtrapati Bhavan https://t.co/E8OLLszVYw
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 20, 2019
“Today we want to be sure that this relationship is maintained and improved for the sake of both countries. And with the leadership of the President and the Prime Minister, I am sure we can create good things for Saudi Arabia and India,” the Saudi Crown Prince said during the ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
“The relationship between India and Saudi Arabia goes more than 2000 years of history. We know Indian people as friends,” he added.
The Saudi Crown Prince arrived in India late on Tuesday evening, where he was warmly received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport.
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The prince arrived from a two-day stay in Pakistan amid tensions between the two countries over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-base Jaish-e-Mohammad group.
The Prime Minister and MBS, as the Saudi Crown Prince is also known, will hold bilateral talks tomorrow, during which terrorism is expected to figure prominently, particularly in the backdrop of the Pulwama attack.
India is likely to raise the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and the two countries are expected to sign ties to enhance cooperation in various fields during the ‘landmark event in high-level bilateral ties.’
Other issues likely to figure in the talks include defence and security. The two sides are expected to sign five MoUs in fields ranging from defence, healthcare etc. The Prince is expected to meet Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.
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The Saudi Crown Prince has currently embarked on a four-country Asian tour that besides India, also includes Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia. He recently concluded his Pakistan visit. (ANI)
“Our objective is to try to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, neighbouring countries, and to see if there is a path forward to resolving those differences peacefully,” Saudi minister of state Adel al-Jubeir had said in Islamabad on Monday.
On the first leg of his Asia tour, the prince signed a slew of investment agreements worth $20 billion with Islamabad which will provide a welcome relief to cash-strapped Pakistan.
(With ANI inputs)
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