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During his visit to Saudi Arabia on April 22-23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss “pressing regional and global developments”, including the situation in West Asia, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the threat to maritime security posed by Houthi attacks. It will also cover important regional matters and promote defence and economic cooperation.This will be PM Modi’s third visit to Saudi Arabia, spread over his three terms. During his 2016 visit, he was conferred with the Kingdom’s highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Sash.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a press conference to share details of the Prime Minister’s agenda for his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia. He said PM Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting will be very interesting and rich in discussion.Here are the key highlights of PM Modi’s agenda during his Saudi Arabia visit:The Foreign Secretary emphasised that the visit was a “very important opportunity” for both countries to compare notes on several issues of mutual concern, such as the regional situation and global developments.Misri said the PM will definitely discuss the Houthis’ attacks “with regard to shipping and navigation, etc,” because India has been closely monitoring them with some concern over freedom of navigation, the safety and security of our vessels and sea.He also said the evolving situation in West Asia, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, would also feature prominently in the bilateral discussions.India and Saudi Arabia are also expected to strengthen their defence cooperation and expand their economic partnership, currently valued at nearly $43 billion, during PM Modi’s visit.“Saudi Arabia is India’s fifth-largest trading partner overall, and India is the Kingdom’s second-largest trading partner overall,” Misri said.Apart from trade, he said, investment will also be a topic of discussion, which has continued to do well so far. “There are investments across different sectors such as energy, steel, chemicals, food sector, telecommunications and startups.”Energy will also be a key topic during the talks. “The value of the energy trade in FY 23- 24 was $25.7 billion. The Kingdom remains India’s third largest crude and petroleum sourcing destination, and also the third largest source of LPG for India, accounting for almost 18 per cent of the total LPG imports of India,” Misri said.The visit will include the second summit-level meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, which was established during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to India in 2019.The council has two subcommittees, one focused on security and cultural relations, and the other on trade and investment.PM Modi will also visit a factory employing Indian workers and will interact with them during his trip. “Nearly 2.7 million Indians live and work in the kingdom. The Indian community comprises the second largest group of Indians living abroad,” Misri said.
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