Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Riyadh reflects a resolve to deepen India’s engagement in West Asia. The visit comes eight months after Mr. Modi travelled to the United Arab Emirates, and it is expected be followed by one to Israel. This demonstrates New Delhi’s tightrope-walking foreign policy towards the region. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has been a traditional source of energy and of remittances for India. In recent years, bilateral ties had acquired a security dimension with both countries stepping up cooperation in counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing. While Mr. Modi is clearly trying to build on the existing momentum, he is also seeking to upgrade the economic and security cooperation into a strategic partnership with Riyadh — an approach that is in line with the wider foreign policy outreach to improve ties with close allies of Pakistan. The timing of Mr. Modi’s visit is significant. It has been reported that there are tensions in the Pakistan-Saudi relationship after Islamabad’s renewed engagement with Iran. Pakistan had also refused to send troops to Yemen to join a Saudi war coalition. This is, therefore, a particularly good time to deepen ties, and the Saudis have responded positively. Hours ahead of Mr. Modi landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. imposed joint sanctions on individuals linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Moreover, the joint statement issued by India and Saudi Arabia has an oblique reference to Pakistan as it calls on all states to dismantle terror infrastructure “where they happen to exist”. The India-UAE joint communiqué in August had made a similar call.
The real question, however, is whether the joint statements will be translated into actual policies. Despite some tensions, there is nothing substantial to suggest that the Pakistani-Saudi alliance is getting any worse. Even though the joint statement denounces all kinds of terrorism, the Saudis are accused of funding extremist groups in West Asia, particularly in war-torn Syria. Besides, there are some fundamental weak spots in India-Saudi ties, ranging from concerns about Indian workers in the kingdom to its funding of Wahhabi groups elsewhere, including in India. Another obvious concern is the drastic change under way in West Asia, and the aggressive role Riyadh is playing in regional geopolitics. During the visit Mr. Modi may have focussed on the positive factors of the relationship to improve ties, and rightly so. But India cannot afford to miss the big picture while finessing policies. There have to be mechanisms to address the flaws as well, without which the grand diplomatic overtures may not bear fruit. Also, India would be wary of appearing partisan at a time when the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is at its peak. The best way forward is to continue the multi-directional West Asia policy with more vigour, but maintaining its equilibrium.
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