ZCZC
BFF-33
INDIA-SAUDI-DIPLOMACY-ENERGY
Saudi prince agrees to step up anti-terror ‘pressure’ with India
NEW DELHI, Feb 20, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman and Indian leader Narendra Modi vowed Wednesday to increase
pressure on countries that fuel terrorism.
The promise came as fallout from a suicide bomb attack that India has
blamed on Pakistan overshadowed the latest leg of the crown prince’s tour
aiming to boost his country’s image.
Modi did not mention Pakistan — a key Saudi ally — as he again blasted
the “barbaric attack” in Kashmir last week that left at least 40
paramilitaries dead.
“To tackle this menace effectively, we agreed that there is a need to
increase all possible pressure on countries supporting terrorism in any way,”
Modi said after talks with the crown prince.
“It is extremely important to eliminate the terror infrastructure and stop
support to terrorists and their supporters.”
Prince Mohammed, who arrived in Delhi from Pakistan where he had offered
to help the neighbours ease tensions, responded that “terrorism and extremism
is a common concern for India and Saudi Arabia”.
The prince, whose country accuses Iran of backing militant strikes, added:
“I want to state that we are ready to cooperate with India in every way,
including through intelligence sharing.”
He said India and all “neighbouring countries must work together”.
The crown prince, on his first major tour since the storm erupted over the
murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October, also signed joint accords on
industry and culture, but announced no major deals.
– Energy and investment –
In Pakistan, the Saudi prince announced $20 billion of investment for the
Muslim country.
Modi has faced increasing pressure to take action over the Kashmir attack
claimed by Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Islamabad,
which banned JeM in 2002, has denied any role.
The Saudi delegation had wanted the Delhi leg of the crown prince tour to
be devoted to bolstering its oil supplies to India.
Saudi Arabia is one of India’s key crude suppliers, along with Iran and
Iraq.
Since taking office in 2014, Modi has also sought to attract Saudi
investment in trade, infrastructure and defence. Two-way trade was worth
$27.5 billion last year.
Saudi Arabia wants to invest more, officials said.
“Economic power is shifting from West to East and India will be (the)
second-largest economy ahead of the United States, which is a big opportunity
for us,” Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest
oil company, told a Delhi investment conference on Wednesday.
Aramco signed an accord in April last year with Indian investors on a $44-
billion petrochemical project in western India. Nasser, a member of the crown
prince’s delegation, said his firm was in talks with other Indian firms as
well.
Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia has invested nearly $44 billion dollars
in India since Modi’s visit to his country in 2016.
“We plan to diversify our investments in petrochemicals and other
sectors,” he said.
Prince Mohammed, who was greeted with a traditional Modi bear hug at the
airport late Tuesday, was expected to go on to China later Wednesday.
India’s opposition Congress party meanwhile criticised Modi for welcoming
the crown prince “with such abundance – only hours after he promised billions
to Pakistan” while Indians were in grief over the Kashmir attack.
“PM Modi has shown the country, the martyrs and every soldier in India
what he thinks of their service and sacrifice,” the party said on Twitter.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1749 hrs