At a time when diplomatic receptions are a rarity, both Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval attended Saudi Arabia’s national day, reflecting the importance India attaches to its ties to the kingdom.
In addition to Jaishankar and Doval, the event held at the Saudi embassy on Wednesday evening was also attended by the minister for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
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This was only the second diplomatic reception held by a major embassy in the wake of restrictions related to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), and the other was the national day event hosted by the Afghan embassy.
While the NSA has attended Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia national day receptions in recent years, it is rare that both he and the foreign minister join the same reception.
The last time a foreign minister attended a diplomatic reception was in 2018, when the late Sushma Swaraj joined an event at the Russian embassy as the main guest.
In a message posted on Twitter, Jaishankar had extended his greetings to his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, and to the government on the national day. “Our expanding cooperation in so many sectors reflects the intrinsic strength of our ties. We hope to continue advancing in our Strategic Partnership, ”he said.
At Wednesday’s reception, Saudi envoy Saud Al-Sati said that the kingdom values India as a “close friend and an important strategic partner,” and that the socio-economic commitment and strategic partnership between the two sides is based on the mutual respect and shared interests.
“Through the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) mechanism, we are working to further strengthen our partnership and deepen our friendship … By early 2020, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had awarded 41 new foreign investment projects to Indian investors. , ” he said.
The ambassador said that there is huge untapped potential in merchandise trade, particularly non-oil trade, and the two sides are enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and technology fields. “Current bilateral trade of approximately $ 34 billion is sure to continue to grow,” he said.
In recent years, India has stepped up its cooperation with Saudi Arabia, one of the country’s two main energy providers, in fields ranging from security to technology.
Saudi Arabia is home to 2.6 million Indians, the largest expat community in the kingdom.
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