Balancing act: India engages with Saudi Arabia and Iran

[Halimi]

The Times of India - Balancing act: India engages with Saudi Arabia and Iran

The overlapping visits by crown prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif this week will highlight the delicate balancing act that India is doing in this region.

Prince Salman, who doubles up as the Kingdom's defence minister, will ostensibly return defence minister AK Antony's visit which put defence and security relations on a higher plane with a country India has never been comfortable with.

India and Saudi Arabia have just completed negotiations on a defence cooperation agreement, which is likely to be signed during this visit. The agreement, according to official sources, will cover military training and defence exchanges besides enhanced security cooperation.

Prince Salman comes in after visiting Pakistan during which the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement in the backdrop of Nawaz Sharif government's decision to back the Saudi position on Syria, i.e. to actively work for the overthrow of Bashar al Assad. Sharif has made no secret of his desire to build closer relations with Saudi Arabia, throwing Pakistan headlong into the deep sectarian conflict engulfing the Middle East.

It means Pakistani fighters or trainers could be used to beef up Assad's opponents while Islamabad could even export weapons to Syria. The Pak-Saudi joint statement supported the "formation of transitional governing body with full executive powers enabling it to take charge of the affairs of (Syria)", signaling active Pakistani participation in the Syrian conflict.

 

[illusion8]

The Times of India - Balancing act: India engages with Saudi Arabia and Iran

The overlapping visits by crown prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif this week will highlight the delicate balancing act that India is doing in this region.

Prince Salman, who doubles up as the Kingdom's defence minister, will ostensibly return defence minister AK Antony's visit which put defence and security relations on a higher plane with a country India has never been comfortable with.

India and Saudi Arabia have just completed negotiations on a defence cooperation agreement, which is likely to be signed during this visit. The agreement, according to official sources, will cover military training and defence exchanges besides enhanced security cooperation.

Prince Salman comes in after visiting Pakistan during which the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement in the backdrop of Nawaz Sharif government's decision to back the Saudi position on Syria, i.e. to actively work for the overthrow of Bashar al Assad. Sharif has made no secret of his desire to build closer relations with Saudi Arabia, throwing Pakistan headlong into the deep sectarian conflict engulfing the Middle East.

It means Pakistani fighters or trainers could be used to beef up Assad's opponents while Islamabad could even export weapons to Syria. The Pak-Saudi joint statement supported the "formation of transitional governing body with full executive powers enabling it to take charge of the affairs of (Syria)", signaling active Pakistani participation in the Syrian conflict.

The Indian elephant tight rope walking.

 

[Shaldag]

Getting close to Iran is dangerous. We saw that Iran conducted a terrorist act in India recently.

Saudi might be more helpful to India in combating Pakistani Sunni terrorism.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Getting close to Iran is dangerous. We saw that Iran conducted a terrorist act in India recently.

Saudi might be more helpful to India in combating Pakistani Sunni terrorism.

Pakistan, like the rest, is at war with terror as well.

 

[Serpentine]

Getting close to Iran is dangerous. We saw that Iran conducted a terrorist act in India recently.

It was most likely an inside job by Israel, because it availed no one except Israel, being able to play the victim role again and spread propaganda against Iran, considering that they blamed Iran only 30 minutes after the bombing. lol

There is no reason to target a politically worthless diplomat in soil of one of your greatest economic partners.

Saudi might be more helpful to India in combating Pakistani Sunni terrorism.

This is hilarious.

 

[kaykay]

Getting close to Iran is dangerous. We saw that Iran conducted a terrorist act in India recently.

Saudi might be more helpful to India in combating Pakistani Sunni terrorism.

You have no Idea what are you talking about. KSA is a big source of terror funding in India or even Pakistan.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

You have no Idea what are you talking about. KSA is a big source of terror funding in India or even Pakistan.

Lovely.

Why not suspending relations then?

 

[SHAMK9]

.Saudi might be more helpful to India in combating Pakistani Sunni terrorism.

LMAO! dat flawed logic, welcome to dumbarse 101

Lovely.

Why not suspending relations then?

they are desperate for your oil.

 

[Shaldag]

Pakistan, like the rest, is at war with terror as well.

Pakistan probably has it worse than any other country.

Although relatively quiet in recent weeks, at one point it seemed the country would disintegrate

 

[kaykay]

Lovely.

Why not suspending relations then?

Well I never said that your govt is involved. But money laundring for terror activities from KSA is a known fact.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Pakistan probably has it worse than any other country.

Although relatively quiet in recent weeks, at one point it seemed the country would disintegrate

Glad to see you admitting it, than promoting racial profiling against Pakistan as a whole.

 

[Shaldag]

It was most likely an inside job by Israel, because it availed no one except Israel,

Yes, Israel tried to kill its one Ambassador.

You Iranis are incredible The whole world lists your nation as one of the main sponsors of terror in the world, yet every act you deny.

This is hilarious.

Saudi has been helping the likes of the UK to combat terrorism. Most of it comes from Pakistan.

 

[Yaduveer]

India is not Pakistan. India is a strong nation. It do not need to take sides in order to get anything meaningful from both country.

Non-alignment is in the gene of India's foreign policy.

Both Saudi and Iran are two the strongest pillars of Islamic world and we need strongest ties from both.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Well I never said that your govt is involved. But Its a fact that money laundring for terror activities from KSA is a known fact.

Private funding are tackled bilaterally:

Here is an example of someone collecting private fundings:

Expats collecting donations illegally to be deported | Front Page | Saudi Gazette


If what you're saying is true, then countries should NOT put their interests before national security threats.

India is not Pakistan. India is a strong nation. It do not need to take sides in order to get anything meaningful from both country.

Non-alignment is in the gene of India's foreign policy.

Both Saudi and Iran are two the strongest pillars of Islamic world and we need strongest ties from both.

A very mature response indeed. I tip my hat off for you.

 

[Serpentine]

Yes, Israel tried to kill its one Ambassador.
You Iranis are incredible The whole world lists your nation as one of the main sponsors of terror in the world, yet every act you deny.

I already stated that Israel gained great benefit from it, not Iran. Iran wouldn't gain anything by killing a worthless political target, especially on Indian soil. On the other hand, Israel received a great means to advance its propaganda campaign against Iran.

Can you list the name of those countries who list Iran as sponsor of terror? Any official source is appreciated.