Antony, Defence officials to Visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar

[EjazR]

Press Information Bureau English Releases

With a view to give a boost to bilateral defence cooperation between India and its important partners in the Gulf, the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony will be leaving New Delhi on Saturday on a three day visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This is going to be the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to both the countries. Shri Antony will be accompanied by the Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar, the Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen AS Lamba and other senior officials of MoD and the Armed Forces.

In the first leg of his visit to Riyadh, Shri Antony will have meetings with the top Saudi leadership on issues of bilateral and regional importance. The visit aims at paving the way for enhanced defence interactions between the Armed Forces of the two countries, especially in areas of training and technical exchanges. India and Saudi Arabia have been having regular exchange of defence related visits and interactions. Indian and Saudi ships have also been visiting each other’s ports from time to time.

In the second leg of his visit, Shri Antony will be going to Doha. Expansion in bilateral exchanges and regional security issues will come up prominently during the discussions that Shri Antony will hold the Qatari leadership. It may be recalled that India and Qatar had signed a bilateral agreement on defence cooperation during the visit of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Doha in November 2008. The Indian and Qatari Armed Forces have also been exchanging visits and have participated as observers in each other’s exercises from time to time.

During his sojourn in Riyadh and Doha, Shri Antony will also be meeting representatives of the large Indian community in both the countries.

 

[EjazR]

Indian Defense Leaders To Visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar - Defense News

NEW DELHI - A.K. Antony will make the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Saudi Arabia and Qatar when he leads a senior defense delegation to the two gulf countries May 7-9.

Antony will be accompanied by Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Lt. Gen. A.S. Lamba, the vice chief of the Army Staff, and other senior Defence Ministry and armed forces officials.

In the first leg of his visit to Riyadh, Antony will discuss with top Saudi leadership issues of bilateral and regional importance. The visit also aims to increase defense interactions between the armed forces of the two countries, especially in the areas of training and technical exchanges, says an Indian Defence Ministry release.

India and Saudi Arabia have regularly exchanged defense-related visits, and Indian and Saudi ships have visited each other's ports.

In the second leg of his visit, Antony will go to Doha.

"Expansion in bilateral exchanges and regional security issues will come up prominently during the discussions that Antony will hold the Qatari leadership," the release stated.

India and Qatar signed a bilateral agreement on defense cooperation during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Doha in November 2008. The Indian and Qatari armed forces have exchanged visits and participated as observers in each other's exercises.

India and Qatar are working toward the joint manufacture of weapons and equipment, including ammunition and light weapons for the troops, and also electronic warfare systems, said Indian Defence Ministry sources.

In 2006, India attempted to buy 12 used Mirage aircraft from Qatar but agreement could not be reached because of price differences.

 

[pmukherjee]

Closer ties with SA are desirable. However what SA is doing in Bahrain is despicable. We should be careful never to be associated with such nonsense. We should impress upon the Saudis that Indians living in SA and Bahrain should be looked after and not targeted by other forces involved in the civil disturbances.