External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will undertake a two-day visit of Saudi Arabia on May 25 and 26, at the invitation of Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
A government release said on Monday that this would be Khurshid 's first bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia and to the region as India's External Affairs Minister, and added that he will hold discussions with his Saudi counterpart on bilateral, regional and international issues.
The release further said that the minister is also expected to call on the leadership of Saudi Arabia and will carry a personal letter from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Saudi Arabia is one of India's most valued partners. The path braking visit of King Abdullah to India in January 2006 and the landmark visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in February 2010 transformed India's relationship with Saudi Arabia.
The "Delhi Declaration" issued during the visit of King Abdullah to India of January 2006 provided a roadmap for deepening bilateral political and economic engagement and the "Riyadh Declaration" issued during the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in February 2010 elevated the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.
