By Aroonim Bhuyan
Riyadh, Feb 27 (IANS) Security and counter-terrorism measures will get top priority during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Saudi Arabia, says India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad.
"This visit, taking place four years after the visit of (Saudi Arabia's) King Abdullah (Bin Abdul Aziz) to India will give both sides an opportunity to discuss important global and regional issues," Ahmad told IANS.
"The presence of Taliban in Afghanistan, in Pakistan and along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is a matter of deep concern. After all, it is the Taliban that is funding the Al-Qaeda," he said.
According to the ambassador, the meeting between the prime minister and King Abdullah will review this terrorism issue.
India and Saudi Arabia are set to sign a historic extradition treaty during the course of Manmohan Singh's visit, the first by an Indian prime minister to that Gulf nation in 28 years after the visit of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1982.
"Twenty years back, India's concerns about the growth of such organizations were not taken seriously even by the West. Nowadays, these countries as also Saudi Arabia are victims of terrorism," Ambassador Ahmad, for whom this is his second stint as ambassador in Riyadh, said.
"Only recently, 133 Saudi soldiers were killed fighting rebels in Yemen," he said.
Stating that Saudi Arabia has a lot of information that could be shared with India and so could India, he said all arrangements would be put in place so that bilateral cooperation in this regard happens at the topmost level.
The two sides will sign a historic extradition treaty during the course of the prime minister's visit.
"The two countries will exchange information on movement of terrorists, drugs and arms," Ahmad said.
At the same time, he stated that all future strategic ties needed a sound economic basis.
"After the global financial crisis, India has emerged as an important partner for Saudi Arabia. For Saudi Arabia it is matter of deep importance to develop strong economic ties with India," he said.
"The Saudi side wants Indian companies for JVs (joint ventures) and the help of Indian IT companies to develop their knowledge industry."
As far as energy security is concerned - Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of crude oil to India - the ambassador said efforts were on from India's part to meet the requirements of the Saudi side.
The historic Delhi Declaration signed during the visit of King Abdullah in 2006 talks of taking the buyer-seller relationship between the two sides when it came to petroleum products to a more participatory level.
"We are trying to bridge the gap between what we offer and what they want," Ambassador Ahmad said.
As for the 1.6-million strong expatriate Indian population in that Gulf nation, he said that a number of community welfare initiatives have been taken by the embassy with India's Minsitry of Overseas Indian Affairs playing an active role.
"The welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia is a joint responsibility of both India and Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia has agreed to this," Ahmad said.