Sushma, Saudi Foreign Minister discuss deepening bilateral ties

Riyadh: Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir here and discussed deepening of India-Saudi Arabia ties.

"Discussions focused on enhancing trade and investment, energy, defence and security, culture and people-to-people ties," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

"The two Foreign Ministers also discussed the regional and global situation," Kumar said.

The India-Saudi Arabia relationship was elevated to that of a Strategic Partnership during the visit of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Gulf kingdom in 2010.

Saudi Arabia is the fourth-largest trading partner for India with bilateral trade exceeding $25 billion in 2016-17.

As India's largest supplier of crude oil, Saudi Arabia accounts for about 20 per cent of the total annual imports.

The country is also home to around 3.2 million expatriate Indians, that includes a growing number of professionals, including doctors, software engineers and oil technologists.

Sushma Swaraj arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day visit, during the course of which she will participate at the inauguration of the prestigious national heritage and culture festival Al Janadriyah being held just outside Riyadh at which India is the guest of honour country.