PM to sign extradition treaty in Riyadh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to travel to Riyadh in the first week of March to sign a landmark extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to travel to Riyadh in the first week of March to sign a landmark extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia.

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An agreement on exchange of sentenced prisoners will also be inked as New Delhi warms up to greater cooperation with the key Gulf nation.

As HT reported first, India has finalised the draft of an extradition treaty. The treaty is expected to give the much-needed leg-up to New Delhi in its fight against terrorism. The UAE is only country in the Gulf that India has an extradition treaty with.

Government sources told HT that though the exact dates are not finalised, the first week of March is being zeroed in for the visit.

"The extradition treaty and the agreement for exchange of sentenced prisoners are lined up to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Saudi Arabia.

“These will go a long way in the security cooperation between the countries. We expect the visit to take place in the first quarter of the year," Faisal H. Frad, Saudi ambassador to New Delhi said on Friday.

The exchange of sentenced prisoners will allow prisoners to serve their sentences in their respective countries.

There are 700 Indians in Saudi jails and no Saudi nationals in Indian jails, said the Saudi envoy.

On the investment front, Saudi Arabia has 1.6 million expatriates sending $ 5 billion in remittance to India every year.

A $ 750-million joint investment fund and agreements to further cooperation in areas such as energy, information technology, science and technology are also on the cards.