India rolled out the red carpet for Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday.
The crown prince hailed the relationship with India, a top consumer of Saudi crude oil, after a ceremonial welcome at the imposing red sandstone presidential palace.
"Today we want to be sure that this relationship is maintained and improved for the sake of both countries. With the leadership of the president and the PM, I am sure we can create good things for Saudi Arabia and India," he said in brief remarks before heading into talks with Indian leaders. The prince is also expected to visit China during the tour. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with government protocol to welcome the crown prince at the airport on Tuesday.
Over 70 years of growing ties between #SaudiArabia & #India 🇸🇦🇮🇳#CrownPrinceInIndia pic.twitter.com/juPKhnryxy
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 19, 2019
Sushma Swaraj holds bilateral talks with Saudi Crown Prince
#CrownPrinceInIndia | The Kingdom of #SaudiArabia and #India, a strategic economic partnership 🇸🇦🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/HOP3obwR3Q
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 19, 2019