Saudi crown prince says terrorism a common concern with India

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Wednesday (Feb 20) terrorism was a common concern with India and that his country was ready to share intelligence to tackle it.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the crown prince said Saudi Arabia was ready for political cooperation with India.

"On the issue of extremism and terrorism, which is a common concern, we want to tell India that we will cooperate in every way, including intelligence sharing," the crown prince said.

The crown prince's visit comes days after a militant attack in the disputed region of Kashmir which involved a bombing of a security convoy in which 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed.

The attack was claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group.

During the press briefing, Mr Modi said he had agreed with Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism, naval and cyber security.

Earlier in the day, the crown prince received a ceremonial welcome at New Delhi's imposing red sandstone presidential palace. where he hailed the relationship with India, a top consumer of Saudi crude oil.

"Today we want to be sure that this relation 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.

India rolled out the red carpet for the crown prince at a time when it is trying to build diplomatic support against Pakistan following the militant attack.

The prince is also expected to visit China during a tour that will be his first through the region since the storm over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

While the killing of Khashoggi, a known critic of the crown prince, has strained Saudi Arabia's ties with the West and battered the prince's image abroad, both India and Pakistan had expected a scaling up of investments during his trip.

On Tuesday, Mr Modi broke with government protocol to welcome the crown prince at the airport. Ordinarily, the prime minister would not receive a foreign dignitary at the airport, but instead send an official or a junior government minister.

"A new chapter in bilateral relations," Raveesh Kumar, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, posted on Twitter, hailing Mr Modi "breaking protocol" with a photograph of the pair warmly clasping hands by the steps of the prince's plane.

Saudi Arabia is India's top supplier of crude oil but the two countries have expanded ties beyond energy, and their governments have agreed to build a strategic partnership, India's Foreign Ministry said last week.

During the trip, India is expecting the crown prince to announce an initial investment in its National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, to help accelerate the building of ports and highways, an Indian official and Saudi state media has said.