Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address to the Shoura Council on Monday at the conclusion of his visit to the Kingdom will focus on Indian foreign policy and strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia. The speech, which will be the first by an Indian prime minister before the Shoura Council, will also look at opportunities for investment in India and greater cooperation between the Saudi and Indian business communities in the light of the rapid economic transformation that has taken place in India. Prof. Zikrur Rahman of the India-Arab Cultural Center at New Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University said the occasion was also an “opportunity to address the Saudi public on political, economic and cultural transformations”. “The accords signed between the Kingdom and India during the visit will give great momentum toward expanding the base of the two countries' strategic relations,” Rahman said. “King Abdullah is determined to find just solutions to issues in the region and the wider world and he has the world's respect,” he added. According to one Indian politician, the two countries have a “strategic interest in the stability of South Asia and the Middle East, and a direct responsibility to seek peace in the regions.” Riyadh and New Delhi have both performed effective work in international anti-terrorism efforts,” he said.
