Jaishankar to visit Saudi Arabia from September 10-12

New Delhi, September 9, 2022

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to the Saudi Arabia on September 10-12 during which he will co-chair the inaugural Ministerial Meeting of the Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation (PSSC) with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

This will be Jaishankar's first visit to the Kingdom as External Affairs Minister of India.

The PSSC Committee was established under the framework of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.

A press release from the Ministry of External Affairs said the two Ministers would undertake a comprehensive review of the entire bilateral relationship.

They will discuss the progress under the four Joint Working Groups of the PSSC Committee -- Political & Consular; Legal & Security; Social & Cultural; and Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation. The meetings of these Groups and Senior Officials (at Secretary level) have been held over the past few months.

Both sides will also discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest including their cooperation at the UN, G20 and GCC, the release said.

During the visit, EAM will also meet other Saudi dignitaries as well as Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf.

Both sides will review the bilateral relations and discuss ways to enhance them. The Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Saudi Arabia.

"India-Saudi Arabia relations have strengthened considerably over the past few years including in political, security, energy, trade, investment, health, food security, cultural and defence fields. The top leadership of both countries remained in close touch even during the COVID pandemic," the release added.

NNN