India and Saudi Arabia are exploring joint projects in refinery and petrochemical sectors, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He said this in an interview to Arab News on the first day of the visit to Saudi Arabia.
Modi said work is now underway with the potential for electricity exchange in a wide area including power grid connection between India and Saudi Arabia.
He said the emphasis was on increasing the energy sector to increase trade and investment between the two countries. Saudi Arabia is one of India's major fuel suppliers.
Modi's visit is being viewed as a further strengthening of the two countries' strategic relations. Over the past few years, India and Saudi Arabia have increased defense, investment and culture sectors.
Meanwhile, Modi's meeting with Saudi Arabia's king Mohammed bin Salman was also reported to have discussed various bilateral issues. Emphasis has been given to enhancing cooperation in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and South Asia.
The preservation of the interests of expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia is also one of the major issues of the visit. Currently there are about 2 million Indian workers in Saudi Arabia.
Modi's visit is expected to signed several agreements between the two countries.
Source: Reuters
