We expect Saudi Arabia to consider ‘mutual interests’: MEA on Riyadh’s defence pact with Pakistan

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that New Delhi expects that India and Saudi Arabia’s mutual interests will be kept in mind as Riyadh enters into a defence pact with Pakistan.

“India and Saudi Arabia, we have a wide-ranging strategic partnership which has deepened in the last several years considerably,” ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing. “We expect that this strategic partnership will keep in mind mutual interest and sensitivities.”

The spokesperson made the comment while responding to a reporter’s question about the mutual defence agreement that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed on Wednesday. The pact states that aggression against either country would be considered an attack on both nations.

India had said on Thursday that it was studying the implications of the agreement on its security.

An unidentified senior Saudi official had told Reuters on Wednesday that the agreement was not a response to any specific country or situation, but was “an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries”.

The official added: “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can.”

The agreement came two days after a joint session of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic...

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