Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir visited India on Thursday to meet with top Indian officials and discuss de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Al-Jubeir's visit followed India's military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed the situation, emphasizing India's commitment to combating terrorism.
The Saudi statement came as tensions soared significantly, with Pakistan claiming that its three airbases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones early Saturday.
A number of Middle Eastern nations have expressed concern over Iran's aspirations of becoming a nuclear armed state, according to the secret cables released by whistleblower website WikiLeaks. Saudi Arabia's leader King Abdullah has even asked the US to consider bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, reveal the cables."He told you (US administration) to cut off the head of the snake," the Saudi ambassador to Washington Adel al-Jubeir is quoted as saying.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on Wednesday dismissed the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud, and replaced him with the Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef.
'I am worried that Pakistan will still feel compelled to take substantive military action beyond this apparent drone activity.' 'If so, the crisis could persist for a while more and dangerous days are still ahead.'
Doval and Salman also deliberated on a range of bilateral, regional issues including the missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities last month and ways to further deepen anti-terror cooperation.
"We will soon find out. I'm in no rush. There's no testing... If you look at the end of the Obama administration, it was a disaster. What was going on. You don't have that right now. It's a much different feeling. I think people have...there's always danger, but I think people have much different feeling," he said.
Swaraj thanked Saudi Arabia for according the 'Guest of Honour' status to India at the Janadriyah festival, an official statement said.
In a tweet, Modi said India is 'delighted to welcome' the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
The overwhelming feeling at the end of COP 27 was that despite decades of meetings and landmark accords, like the Paris Agreement, the world was still not doing enough to slow the climate crisis, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'No matter what Modi may boast about 'new India', the geopolitical reality is that India's stature diminishes when it needs a small country like Saudi Arabia under an autocratic ruler to help out with what is arguably one of the most critical templates of its diplomacy,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
He rejected suggestions that the Pak-Saudi statement was against India's push at UN.
Saudi Arabia has severed diplomatic ties with Iran following attacks on the kingdom's embassy and consulate in the Islamic Republic over the execution of a Shiite cleric.
'Qatar has been funding and supporting terrorist organisations.' 'It has used its media to spread lies and create unrest in neighbouring countries.'
PM Modi also called for a strong action plan for combating extremism.
'It is a tense border and there are numerous elements that keep these tensions alive.' 'India is willing to militarily respond if provoked.'
