Rapidly growing India has been assured that the Kingdom is ready to supply all its current and future oil needs. This was the assurance given at a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi in Riyadh Sunday. The two men held discussions on the state of the world's oil markets and the efforts being made by the Kingdom to bring stability to the markets. The Indian PM was assured of the Kingdom's “desire and readiness” to provide India with its “present and future” oil needs. The meeting also dealt with joint investments between the two countries. Al-Naimi also met with Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora to discuss mutually beneficial trade links. The Indian PM also met with Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday to discuss various issues. Prince Saud held a meeting at his palace with Indian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shashi Tharoor to review bilateral relations and regional and international issues. Earlier, addressing the Saudi-India Business Forum, organized by the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Singh said: “We believe that conditions are ripe for moving beyond a traditional (oil) buyer-seller relationship to a comprehensive energy partnership.” “We deeply value Saudi Arabia's role as a reliable partner in meeting our energy needs. We believe that conditions are ripe for moving beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship to a comprehensive energy partnership.”
