Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to visit India

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will visit India today.

Prince Faisal is expected to meet with India’s External Affairs Minister, National Security Advisor, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit will focus on security issues stemming from the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

Saudi Arabia is especially wary of the Taliban’s links with broader jihadist networks as well as Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan’s positive relations with the Taliban regime. Representatives from India and Saudi Arabia have discussed Afghanistan prior to the meeting, expressing the joint desire for a representative and inclusive Afghan government last week.

Expect Prince Faisal’s visit to help improve ties between Saudi Arabia and India, especially on their positions toward Afghanistan. The two countries have recently grown closer and stronger ties between them will likely be mutually beneficial from a security standpoint. In the long term, they can help reduce geopolitical tension in the region through cooperation on anti-terrorism operations and ensure that India’s security concerns regarding Afghanistan are resolved. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s closer relationship with India will likely add a powerful counterweight to the burgeoning India-hostile China-Pakistan alliance.

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