Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh region, begins Sunday his four-day official visit to India to discuss with Indian President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari international developments and bilateral relations. Faisal Bin Tarad, Saudi Ambassador to New Delhi, told Okaz that Prince Salman's visit comes at the invitation of Vice President Ansari as both countries seek to advance political, economic and trade relations. “It will be an opportunity to boost the strong strategic partnership which the leaders of both countries are seeking to push forward in the interests of their peoples,” Bin Tarad said. “The visit also follows on from the significant visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Kingdom last February during which several bilateral agreements were signed.” That visit constituted a consolidation of relations, the foundations of which were laid during the visit of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to India in 2006. “Saudi-Indian relations are a model for the world given the continual cooperation and work of both sides to move forward,” Bin Tarad said. Sources in the Indian government said that Prince Salman is scheduled to meet with President Patil, Vice President Ansari, and Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna. The Prince will also attend a special gathering organized by the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and pay visits to the Saudi School in New Delhi, the Jamia Millia Islamia University, and the town of Agra to see the Taj Mahal. On Tuesday, the Saudi envoy will hold a reception for Prince Salman, who will be accompanied during his visit by princes and Saudi businessmen, before he departs for Mumbai Wednesday. Saudi-Indian relations are documented back to the time of the Silk Route from the Arabian Peninsula to India, but political relations officially began with the opening of the Indian Consulate in Jeddah in 1948 followed by the embassy in 1955 after the visit of King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz in the same year. Last year saw considerable boost in Saudi-Indian investment relations, continuing the boom that resulted from the official visit of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in 2006 when he signed the New Delhi Declaration and numerous agreements, the most significant of which concerned furthering investment exchange protection and preventing double taxation, and memorandums of understanding for Foreign Ministry consultation, cooperation in health, education, and combating crime.
