The upcoming visit of the Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) indicates New Delhi’s intention to boost security cooperation amid the rapidly changing landscape in West Asia, said the Friday experts and former diplomats.
The army chief is scheduled to pay a four-day visit to the two key West Asian powers starting December 6 in the context of the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan with Israel. Commentators said this is possibly the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an Indian army chief.
India has welcomed the normalization of ties between Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Israel, saying such moves are in line with its efforts to support peace and development in West Asia, which is part of the “neighborhood extended ”of the country.
Zikrur Rahman, a former envoy to Palestine who also served various terms in Saudi Arabia, described the upcoming visit as a “good start” indicating India’s desire to improve security relations with both West Asian states. It is in line with the decision by India and Saudi Arabia during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit last year to create a strategic partnership council to monitor ties.
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“The Saudis are now acting to advance their own national interests and the visit will be an opportunity for India to convey our own narrative on issues such as the border situation with China. It could even help ensure that China remains on the sidelines, ”Rahman said, referring to the Saudi leadership’s openness to economic ties with China.
“The West was never in favor of ties with China and Saudi Arabia has remained in that bloc. Furthermore, this trip will allow India to focus on defense cooperation and on ways to strengthen matters such as intelligence sharing, ”he said.
Both Rahman and Sameer Patil, an international security studies researcher at Gateway House, said the visit by the Indian army chief should be seen in the context of Israel’s growing ties to Arab states and Iran’s efforts to position itself as an actor. key in western Asia.
“The Saudis have concerns about Iran, such as the recent Iran deal with China, and they feel that their leadership is threatened due to recent events related to Israel, but they will insist on a solution to the Palestinian problem. That visit from India could also be a way to pressure Pakistan not to approach Iran, ”Rahman said.
“The regional dynamics are changing rapidly and even Pakistan has turned away from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and tried to form an alternative Islamic front with Malaysia and Turkey,” said Patil. “This visit sends multiple signals to various players.”
Patil also pointed to reports of mediation by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during last year’s India-Pakistan standoff sparked by the Pulwama suicide bombing and said New Delhi’s defense and security cooperation with Arab states have so far focused largely on fighting terrorism, including sharing information on Pakistan-based terrorist groups.
The upcoming visit could be seen as part of India’s efforts to expand security ties to include more exchanges and military exercises, Patil said. “An obvious result will be a reciprocal visit from the head of the Saudi army,” he added.
India and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation in 2014 and both sides are exploring the possibility of joint production and joint exercises, particularly joint naval exercises.
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