Saudi Crown Prince arrives in India, Modi receives him

Saudi Crown Prince arrives in India, Modi receives him

Buenos Aires: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, on the sidelines of G20 Summit, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov 29, 2018. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

Mohammed bin Salman. (File Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday broke protocol to personally receive Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is on his first state visit to India, at the Palam airport here.

Prince Mohammed, who came to India a day after his visit to Pakistan, was received Modi with a warm hug. The Crown Prince had flown back to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan before coming to India.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the first state visit of the Crown Prince marks a new chapter in bilateral relations.

"A new chapter in bilateral relations Breaking protocol, PM narendramodi personally recieves HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as he arrives on his first bilateral visit to India!," he said in a tweet.

During the two-day visit, India and Saudi Arabia are expected to announce a ministerial-level 'Strategic Partnership Council' with the issue of terrorism expected to figure in a major way during the talks in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack.

The Crown Prince will hold delegation-level meetings with Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday to take forward the the existing strategic partnership between the two countries.

He is accompanied by a high-level official delegation as well as a large business delegation.

--IANS

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