As Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) prepares to visit India tomorrow after landing in Pakistan and signing deals worth $20 billion with that country, India must be ready for some hard-nosed diplomacy. After the Pulwama terror attack, India is rightly seeking to isolate Pakistan. But as MBS’s Pakistan visit shows, this won’t be a cakewalk. Thus, New Delhi needs to make plain its red line on terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil.
Riyadh should know that it can’t indulge enemies of this country and expect to do business with New Delhi. True, there is great potential for growth in the India-Saudi relationship. MBS is looking to impart new direction to his country as exemplified by his Vision 2030 and India can be a great development partner here. But Riyadh has to be on the same page as New Delhi on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Otherwise, growth in India-Saudi relations will remain limited.
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