India and Saudi Arabia to ink extradition treaty

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Terrorism and security
cooperation will be high on the agenda of India Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh during his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia from
Saturday when the two countries will sign an extradition
treaty and several other agreements to bolster strategic ties.
Singh will be the first Indian PM to visit Saudi Arabia
after 28 years, the last one undertaken by Indira Gandhi
in 1982.
"The visit aims at reinforcing the strategic partnership
between the two countries," Vijaya Latha Reddy, Secretary
(East) told reporters in the national capital.
The Prime Minister will hold talks with King Abdullah
on a number of bilateral and regional matters of mutual
concern and also address the influential Shoura Council, a
unique honour bestowed upon select dignitaries.
Reddy said the visit provides an opportunity for the
two leaders to review bilateral relations and also to discuss
regional and global issues in the spirit of the Delhi
Declaration which was signed in 2006 when King Abdullah came
here on a State visit.
The talks are also expected to focus on Palestine,
besides the situation in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Yemen.
With both countries concerned over the rise of extremisim
and violence, security cooperation is likely to figure
prominently during the talks.
Both India and Saudi Arabia are aware of the connectivity
of extremist forces that have sanctuary and safe havens in the
Af-Pak border area and are seeking to penetrate other
countries of the region.

New Delhi is concerned about the situation in Afghanistan
and Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia is perturbed over stepped-up al
Qaeda operations from Yemen.
The two countries will sign an extradition treaty, a
number of Memorandum of Understandings and agreements on
transfer of sentenced persons, scientific and technological
cooperation, peaceful use of outer space and cooperation in
the IT sector, culture and media.
Singh will have substantive discussions with King
Abdullah and several Saudi ministers, Reddy said.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Health and
Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Petroleum and
Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora, Commerce and Industry
Minister Anand Sharma and Minister of State for External
Affairs Shashi Tharoor.
Singh's visit comes four years after the landmark visit
of King Abdullah who was the chief guest at the Republic Day
celebrations in 2006.
Reddy said Saudi Arabia is an important trading and
energy security partner. Bilateral trade between the two
countries during 2008-09 exceeded USD 25 billion.
Coinciding with Singh's visit, a 25-member CEOs
delegation is also visiting the oil-rich kingdom and will have
interactions with their Saudi counterparts to establish
multually beneficial business partnerships, she said.
Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries Ltd, Essar's Shashi
Ruia and IT poster boys Azim Premji and S Ramadorai figure in
the high-powered business delegation.
Before leaving Riyadh, Singh will interact with a cross
section of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, which numbers
nearly 1.8 million at present. PTI VMN
KAB