Saudi army chief visits India for the first time

NEW DELHI: The Saudi Arabian army chief paid a "historic and landmark" first visit to India this week, the Indian Ministry of Defence said.

According to a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence, Serving Commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair arrived in India on Monday (February 14) and ended his three-day trip on Wednesday (February 16).

“This was the first ever visit by a serving royal Saudi land forces commander to India and marks a deepening bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries,” the statement added.

Per details, the Saudi army chief was received by Naravane February 15, 2022 at South Block where he was accorded a Ceremonial Guard of Honour. 

He met the COAS for significant bilateral discussions and was briefed on security aspects.

“The relationship between India and Saudi Arabia has grown owing to common interests in economic prosperity, eliminating the scourge of terrorism and mitigating the effects of climate change. Defence diplomacy forms one of the major tenets of the overall relationship,” the statement noted.

The ministry mentioned that Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane had visited Saudi Arabia in December 2020 in a “historic visit” which marked the first time that an Indian army chief had visited the Gulf state.

The aim of the visit was to bolster bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.