Indian ministers E. Ahmed and Sachin Pilot have described the visit of Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh region, to India as “consolidating the strategic partnership between New Delhi and Riyadh” and “expanding the dialogue between the two countries in political, economic, trade and cultural spheres”. Minister of State for Railways and chairman of the Indian Muslim Scholars League E. Ahmed said at the conclusion of Prince Salman's four-day visit Wednesday that Saudi-Indian relations had “entered a new chapter of partnership”, which would witness a strengthening of security and stability in South Asia and the Middle East. “The Kingdom and India are coming closer together and have common goals, and the visit has given impetus to the Riyadh Declaration signed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last February,” Ahmed said. “Saudi-Indian relations are excellent and built on a firm base going back a long time.” Ahmed said he expected the near future to bring further cooperation with Riyadh in a variety of areas, notably in the economy and in combating terrorism. “India condemns violence, extremism and terrorism which is a global issue affecting all societies,” he said. “Terrorism is a common enemy and it must be fought with resolve to attack it at its root.” Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications & Technology, said that there were “extensive fields of development for cooperation with Riyadh, one of which is information technology and in which India has become a pioneer”. “The bringing of relations up to the strategic level in security, the economy, defense and politics will give the chance for them to diversify and become richer,” Pilot said. “Both countries wish to develop their economies into ones based on knowledge and comprehensiveness, founding them on the advance achieved in information technology, and the strategic partnership in energy.”
