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shipping” as the priority areas for India. Once again both emphasized the
need “to transform the buyer-seller partnership in the energy sector” and
identified “training and human resource development and cooperation in
research and development” and regular consultations under “India-Saudi
Arabia Ministerial Energy Dialogue” but no major announcements were
made during the visit.
Wooing the diasporic population has become integral to Modi’s foreign
engagements and his visit to Saudi Arabia was not an exception. Even
though he could not address an open audience as happened in Madison
Square or other avenues, the joint statement addressed Modi’s concerns and
declared: “Recognizing the vibrant people to people contact that provided
strong bonds between the two countries, the leaders lauded the valuable
role of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia and its contribution to the
progress and development of both India and Saudi Arabia.” During the visit
both countries signed an agreement on labour cooperation for the recruit-
ment of General Category Workers (India, Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs 2014 ) and to establish a joint Working Group on Consular issues for
periodic consultations. Modi also thanked the Saudi authorities for their
“excellent arrangement” for the haj and umrah pilgrims from India.
On the international situation, both leaders discussed the ongoing crisis in
Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen and given their different approaches, they set-
tled for advocating a peaceful resolution of these conflicts. On the question
of Palestine, the joint statement reiterated their support for “a just, compre-
hensive and lasting peace in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and
the resolutions of international legitimacy” towards guaranteeing “the legiti-
mate rights of the Palestinian people.” Continuing with the practice of the
UPA government in India, the statement called for “an independent, united
and viable (Palestinian) state with East Jerusalem as its capital.” Interestingly
a year later, Modi would drop references to “East Jerusalem” during the visit
of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to India (Kumaraswamy 2017 ).
concluSion
The bilateral relations have transformed considerably since the 2001 visit of
Jaswant Singh to the Kingdom. There were more high-level visits and
exchanges afterwards than in the previous five decades. The shift was
primarily India’s with Saudi Arabia responding favourably. If the economic
growth made India an attractive market, New Delhi’s determination to
delink Pakistan from its foreign policy engagements made things comfort-
able for the Kingdom. Both sides recognized the need to diversify the areas
P. R. KUMARASWAMY AND MD. M. QUAMAR