AFP, Riyadh :
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday started a visit to Saudi Arabia where he will discuss energy, security and trade cooperation with leaders of the world’s largest crude exporter.
India, which imports around 80 percent of its oil needs, is keen to take advantage of low crude prices by signing overseas deals that will help secure supplies to meet its growing demand. “Almost 20 percent of our crude supplies come from Saudi Arabia,” Indian foreign ministry official Shri Mridul Kumar said ahead of the visit.
“We have to make sure that this supply continues. And this is one of the key agenda points that the prime minister will be discussing with King Salman,” he added.
Kumar said Modi was also expected to discuss means “to ensure the well being” of 2.96 million Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia who send home over $10 billion in remittances every year.
Later on Saturday, he met with members of the Indian community, whom he assured that the “Indian economy was rapidly progressing,” according to his website.
“The reason for India’s growth was the political stability in the country,” he said.
He also visited a the residential complex of workers employed by Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in Riyadh, where he announced the opening of a worker resource centre, his website said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday started a visit to Saudi Arabia where he will discuss energy, security and trade cooperation with leaders of the world’s largest crude exporter.
India, which imports around 80 percent of its oil needs, is keen to take advantage of low crude prices by signing overseas deals that will help secure supplies to meet its growing demand. “Almost 20 percent of our crude supplies come from Saudi Arabia,” Indian foreign ministry official Shri Mridul Kumar said ahead of the visit.
“We have to make sure that this supply continues. And this is one of the key agenda points that the prime minister will be discussing with King Salman,” he added.
Kumar said Modi was also expected to discuss means “to ensure the well being” of 2.96 million Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia who send home over $10 billion in remittances every year.
Later on Saturday, he met with members of the Indian community, whom he assured that the “Indian economy was rapidly progressing,” according to his website.
“The reason for India’s growth was the political stability in the country,” he said.
He also visited a the residential complex of workers employed by Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in Riyadh, where he announced the opening of a worker resource centre, his website said.
