Saudi understands India's position on Kashmir; issue not discussed during PM's meetings in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia understands India's position on Kashmir and it believes what India is doing is betterment of its own population, an Indian source said here on Wednesday.

The source made the remarks a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.

"There is a greater political understanding (in Saudi Arabia) of India's position on Kashmir," the source said.

He said there was no discussion on Kashmir during the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Modi and the top Saudi leadership on Tuesday. He, however, said Pakistan did came up during talks between the two sides.

"Saudi considers Kashmir as an internal issue" of India, the source said, indicating that the Saudi side does not support Pakistan on the issue.

A joint statement issued after the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed on Tuesday reiterated "their categorical rejection of all forms of interference in the internal affairs of countries."