Saudi Arabia crown prince to visit India next week; trade, energy security top on agenda
New Delhi : Defence, trade and energy security are expected to be high on the agenda when Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Defence Minister
Mohammed bin Salman holds talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to India next week.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and leading Saudi businessmen, Prince Salman will arrive India on February 19 on his maiden trip to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement here.
During the visit, the Crown Prince will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on wide range of issues of mutual interest. He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
The visit by Prince Salman, who is also the vice president of Saudi Arabia's council of ministers, follows the highly successful trip of Prime Minister Modi to that country in April 2016, during which the two sides agreed to further elevate existing strategic partnership, the MEA said.
In recent years, there has been significant progress in bilateral cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including energy security, trade and investment, infrastructure, defence and security, it said.
The bilateral trade was USD 27.48 billion during the last financial year 2017-18, making Saudi Arabia India's fourth largest trading partner.
Saudi Arabia contributes significantly to India's energy security needs by supplying about 20 per cent of crude requirements of the country.
Recently, Saudi ARAMCO in partnership with ADNOC of the UAE entered into a Joint Venture for USD 44-billion worth Ratnagiri Refinery and Petro-Chemical project Ltd.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also facilitates Hajj pilgrimage to over 1,75,000 Indians every year.
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Officials instructed to make sure no untoward incident during Bengaluru IPL match: Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that preparations have been made for the inaugural IPL match at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium on March 28, and the instructions have been given to police, the authorities and KSCA, which manages the venue, to ensure that there are no untoward incidents.
He also complimented the KSCA for installing a memorial plaque at the stadium in the honour of those killed in the stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebration on June 4 last year.
Eleven people were killed, and a number of people were injured in the stampede outside the stadium, following which matches were stopped at the venue.
"The government has allowed the match to be held on March 28. All the corrections that were required have been done by the KSCA. The committee formed by the government, consisting of officials from the police, Greater Bengaluru Authority and other departments, is satisfied with the measures implemented by KSCA," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said that police, KSCA and RCB have made all the necessary preparations for the IPL's inaugural match here on March 28.
"Also, necessary instructions have been given to ensure that untoward incidents don't repeat, and they too have agreed to it," he added.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28.
Parameshwara said, following the tragedy during RCB's IPL victory celebrations, KSCA and the government had to face a lot of criticism globally. The government intervened and took several measures, including constituting the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission to look into the lapses.
After the commission submitted a report with recommendations, the government asked the KSCA to implement them, he said. "There are long and short-term recommendations. Since the KSCA made corrections as per recommendations, the matches have been permitted," he added.
