Feature Image: General MM Naravane in Saudi Arabia in December 2020
After the first official visit by the Indian Army Chief of Staff General MM Naravane to Saudi Arabia in December 2020, the armies of both countries are going to undertake a joint bilateral military exercise, reports WION.
It is quite likely that both countries reached this agreement when the Indian Army Chief had visited the Headquarters of Royal Saudi Land Force, the Joint Force Command Headquarters and King Abdul Aziz Military Academy.
The Indian contingent will be travelling to Saudi Arabia for the exercises in the next financial year when the coronavirus pandemic is expected to have diminished.
India and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed long diplomatic relations since 1947. Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trade partner and India imports around 18 per cent of its crude oil requirement from the Kingdom.
Also, there is a 2.6 million-strong Indian community that lives and works in Saudi Arabia, making it the largest Indian expatriate community in the region.
After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, the relationship between the two countries has further strengthened. The visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to India in February 2019 cemented the ties between the two nations in various fields.
Saudi Arabia has identified India as one of the Kingdom’s eight Strategic Partner Countries under ‘Vision 2030’. The oil-rich Kingdom also made the announcement to invest $100 billion in India as bilateral ties move in an upward trajectory.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.