
Modi Saudi Arabia Visit Live Updates: 'Value long, historic ties with Saudi': PM Modi embarks on historic visit to Jeddah
08:30 (IST) Apr 22
Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, will chair the meeting of Strategic Partnership Council during his visit to Jeddah.
Speaking with ANI, the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia informed that a "large" number of MoUs will be signed, and the economic, defence partnership, and political relations between both countries will also be discussed during the PM's "hugely significant" visit from April 22 to April 23.
"There is a strategic partnership council between India and Saudi Arabia. So, both the leaders, the Honourable Prime Minister and His Royal Highness Crown Prince, are going to chair the Strategic Partnership Council meeting. A large number of MoUs are being finalised and will be signed in exchange during the visit, and a host of other issues on economic partnership, defence partnership on our way, all these things will be discussed. It's a hugely significant visit," Khan told ANI.
Speaking about India's defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Suhel Ajaz Khan noted that the partnership between both countries is "very strong" while mentioning various naval and land exercises and assured that the partnership will get "impetus"
Our defence and security partnership is very strong, and we have a bilateral defence cooperation MoU of 2014, and under this various activities are taking place and as you know, in the last few years we all organised the naval exercises, we organised the land forces exercises, and we are looking at another edition of the naval exercises shortly. Definitely, the defence cooperation will be a part of the agenda, and I expect that our defence partnership will certainly get impetus during this visit." Khan told ANI.

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