New Phase of India-Saudi Arabia Relations

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tour of Saudi Arabia when Pakistan's influence on Taliban and Al-Qa'ida is growing is considered extremely important. Editors of international newspapers are attaching great importance to the visit. This is the first visit of India's head of state to that country after 28 years. Before this, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the country in 1986. Before Indira Gandhi, her father Jawaharlal Nehru had extremely good relations with Saudi Arabia.

The biggest proof of this was that India was strongly opposed to the illegal creation of Israel and was pro-Palestinian. But now it seems that India's foreign policy in the Middle East has changed drastically and it has devoted its complete attention to improving its ties with Israel more and more.

Developing Trade Ties
India has wide ranging trade relations with Saudi Arabia and the two countries have cordial relations. After the 2006 tour of King Abdullah to India, relations between the two and trade that stood at $500 million increased to $22 billion. Now a large portion of India's need for oil is satisfied by Saudi Arabia. A few years ago this position was held by Iran.

Some concerned parties are assuming that India is exercising foresight and is preparing for its future needs. Singh's trip is a part of the plan because relations between Iran and the United States are worsening by the day and the gulf between them is widening, and anything can happen between the two sides suddenly.

If the situation worsens and economic sanctions are slapped on Iran, India cannot show too much sympathy for Iran, although it claims sympathy for Iran at every forum. But it cannot show so much sympathy, so that Iran continues to supply India with oil. In such a situation it will be important for India that it prepares to satisfy its oil requirements from alternative sources.

Enlarging Relations
Policymakers feel that India is enlarging its relations with Saudi Arabia to fulfill its requirements for oil in case of war. And this is the view that is prevailing about Singh's trip to Saudi Arabia. A small proof of it can be seen that the country's oil requirement from 25.5 MMT has gone up to 40 MMT. Only time will tell how much truth there is in this conjecture. But otherwise also, Singh's trip is very important.

Regional cooperation and extradition of criminals, 10 such joint agreements have been signed. Experts are attaching great importance to the extradition of criminals because many of those involved in terrorism often take shelter in Saudi Arabia. Some big names of terrorism are involved in this, and many examples of it have been sited in the past.

India-Pakistan Talks
Minster of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor is also accompanying the prime minister. Can Tharoor be there and no problem arises? Is this possible? Here also, Tharoor reminded his presence and created a new problem. His suggestion that Saudi Arabia can act as a mediator between India and Pakistan proved to be a bombshell. This gave the opposition a new stick to beat the government with and no one can predict how the issue will play out.

However, it goes without saying that Tharoor statement was highly irresponsible because so far nobody has thought in terms of a mediator for the India-Pakistan talks. It has always been kept at a bilateral level. Without any warning, to issue such a statement was definitely an irresponsible act.

The opposition is sharpening its claws and waiting for Singh's return so that it can pounce on him. One has to wait and see that after Singh's trip to Saudi Arabia, problems are reduced or increase some more.

India-Pakistan Dispute and Mediation by Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is on a visit to the Saudi Arabia, but even prior to the details being made available on the visit, a statement made by Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has come into limelight that has received widespread condemnation. The delegation accompanying the prime minister includes Tharoor.

Addressing the media persons at Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, he stressed that the help of Saudi Arabia needs to be sought in settling the India-Pakistan dispute. This led to a ruckus in political circles in India.

Intervention of Third Party
All those political parties that are against any kind of mediation from a third country in the dispute between India and Pakistan geared up to attack Tharoor. During Holi when colors should be used, the game of mudslinging started. All these political leaders who, perhaps, continue to be present in the offices of TV channels immediately came before the cameras to spit venom against him.

They all began to condemn him, saying that to make Saudi Arabia a mediator in the India-Pakistan dispute has broken an age-old tradition. These leaders maintained that the intervention of a third party in the India-Pakistan disputes would harm India's interests.

Reason Behind Opposition
The main reason behind the opposition to Tharoor's suggestion is that all politicians in Pakistan continue to harp that some third country should mediate between the countries to get their dispute resolved. Saudi Arabia is the third country, after the United States and the United Kingdom, which would be greatly welcomed by Pakistani politicians if it dons the mantle of a mediator.

Readers may recall that in the wake of the India-Pakistan war 1965, the then Soviet Union played the role of a mediator and an agreement was reached between the then Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President General Ayub Khan at Tashkent (Shastri passed away within hours of signing the agreement).

After the 1971 war, India refused to accept the mediation from a third country. India asked the then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to visit India to hold peace talks. Consequently, the Shimla Accord was signed. Since then politicians in Pakistan adopted the stand that whenever there was any dispute between the countries, they endeavored to get it resolved by bringing a third country as a mediator. Yet, India continued to maintain that there was no need of a third party to mediate between them. So much so Indians do not even like to hear such a thing from anyone. That is why when Tharoor was said to have maintained that Saudi Arabia should act as a mediator between India and Pakistan, guns were set against him and politicians enjoying Holi holidays forgot about the celebration and plunged into the political arena.

After the ruckus began to take an ugly overture, Tharoor wrote on Twitter that journalists could not grasp his English. Explaining, he said that he had used the word, "interlocutor" which is not the same as a "mediator." He added the word interlocutor stands for a person who conveys the message from one person to another.

He said that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bosom friends and, therefore, Saudi Arabia can act as an effective interlocutor. The dictionary meaning of the interlocutor in the Urdu dictionary is a person who participate din question and answer while the English dictionary says that an interlocutor is a person who conveys the message from one government to the other and also the reply from that government to the former one. Clearly, it is no mediation. Indeed, it is a kind of a help under which the two governments concerned can easily comprehend each other.

Possible Help to Taliban
As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, it is the second largest and major US ally, after Israel in the Middle East, while Pakistan is the major US ally in South Asia. Friendship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is very deep. It would, therefore, be more then happy to act as a messenger in the dialogue between India and Pakistan.

It is common knowledge that once Saudi Arabia extended all possible help to the Taliban. It was the first country in the world that recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, yet the Taliban were sworn enemies of the United States. Relations between Saudi Arabia and the Taliban turned sour and the Taliban began to target Saudi Arabia for terrorism. In the same way, Pakistan had also not only extended all help to the Taliban but also nurtured them. Now, the Taliban are Pakistan's deadliest enemy. The Taliban are India's enemies since their inception. That is why Saudi Arabia at least can extend some help to India in dealing with the threat from the Taliban.

Time Ahead
Tharoor has been a successful diplomat and has held the office of the UN under secretary general. He understands international issues very well. Therefore, instead of targeting him for his assertion, there is the need to test it on the criteria of international interests. Neither the External Affairs Ministry nor the prime minister office has reacted to it, yet.

Yet, news agencies have issued news items with reference to the prime minister office that the government is greatly surprised at the statement made by Tharoor. The situation may become clear only after the prime minister returns from Saudi Arabia or a statement issued after the conclusion of the visits. The prime minister may explain the issue to the media persons accompanying him.