Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in New Delhi during the latter's maiden visit to India.
Al Saud arrived earlier in the day on a three-day visit to India, during which he is expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two leaders exchanges notes on the evolving situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, the Gulf and the Indo-Pacific region and collaboration in the two nation's fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
S Jaishankar also urged Al Saud to resume direct flights between India and Saudi Arabia, which remains suspended owing to the pandemic.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar posted snippets from the meeting, calling it “cordial and productive.”
The two ministers also reviewed the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement, signed between India and saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gulf nation in October 2019.
{{/usCountry}}The two ministers also reviewed the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement, signed between India and saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gulf nation in October 2019.
{{/usCountry}}Officials of the Union ministry of external affairs familiar with the minutes of the meeting said that both the leaders discussed issues related to their bilateral relationship and regional and international affairs of mutual interest.
"The two ministers reviewed the implementation of the 'Strategic Partnership Council Agreement' signed between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia in October 2019," the MEA said.
They elaborated that the delegates led by the two leaders held discussions on steps to strengthen their partnership in trade, investment, energy, defence, security, culture, consular issues, healthcare and human resources.