India expects Saudi Arabia to keep in mind mutual interests: MEA on Pak defence pact

India on Friday said it expects Saudi Arabia to keep in mind “mutual interests and sensitivities” in the bilateral strategic partnership in the wake of Riyadh sealing a strategic defence pact with Pakistan.

The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” signed on Wednesday by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman states that “any aggression against either of the two countries shall be considered as an aggression against both”.

“India and Saudi Arabia have a wide-ranging strategic partnership that has deepened considerably in the last few years,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“Our expectation is that our strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia will be pursued keeping in mind mutual interests and sensitivities, within the framework of this partnership,” he said.

Jaiswal was responding to a question at his weekly media briefing.

In its initial reaction to the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia pact, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it will take all steps to protect the country’s national interests and ensure comprehensive national security.

Jaiswal, responding to a separate question about the possibility of other countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar becoming party to the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia pact, said India has wide-ranging ties with both these countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently spoken to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, and that UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Reem Al Hashimy, visited New Delhi for talks with foreign secretary Vikram Misri, he said.

India’s relations with the UAE and Qatar are “expansive”, Jaiswal said.

The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia joint statement said the new defence agreement reflects the “shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security” and it “aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression”.

Pakistan has been a key ally of Saudi Arabia and both sides have a long-standing relationship in the defence sector.

While the US provides the overall security framework to Saudi Arabia, in many cases Pakistan has provided manpower and expertise to it.

Saudi Arabia first signed a defence agreement with Pakistan in 1967 and upgraded it in 1982 through a bilateral security cooperation agreement.

At one point of time, more than 15,000 Pakistani troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia.

People familiar with the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia pact said India was aware that the agreement was under consideration.

The pact formalises existing understandings, particularly on Pakistani support to Saudi Arabia.

It is learnt that the timeline to seal the pact was advanced in view of the recent Israeli attacks on Doha.