Relevance : GS Paper II ( International Relations)
[ 1500 words summarized to 100 ]
Saudi Crown Prince visited India this week
Significance of the visit
- trilateral dynamic with Pakistan
- deepening of the bilateral relationship
- extending support Saudi’s agenda for “reversing 1979”
Analysing India’s historical relation with the West Asia
- relationship with the Gulf is deep and civilisational.
- British Raj was the provider of security and the facilitator of the region’s economy.
- Partition led to complex relation with the Arabian Peninsula.
- Pakistan sought to mobilise political support from the Middle East.
- Non-aligned India had little interest in continuing the strategic legacy of the Raj.
- Due to preference for “secular republics”, India’s relations with the conservative monarchies weakened.
- OIC’S hostile rhetoric on the Kashmir question created a “pro-Pakistan” perception.
- The end of the Cold War, India’s economic reforms, and the growing economic interdependence generated greater interest in the Gulf.
- As the gap in economy of India and Pakistan widened, Saudi Arabia came closer to India.
Opportunities that the recent visit provides
- Opportunity to construct a solid and comprehensive partnership
- New possibilities beyond the traditional focus on the hydrocarbon sector
- expansion of cooperation to counter terrorism.
- Bilateral defence cooperation
- India’s support to Prince Salman’s commitment to reverse the hugely negative consequences of 1979.
