National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval paid a two-day quiet visit to Saudi Arabia during which he apprised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman about the situation in Jammu & Kashmir after the State’s special status was withdrawn, official sources said on Wednesday.
The Saudi side conveyed to Doval that it is aware of New Delhi’s long-held position on Kashmir and emphasised on the need for de-escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, they said. The NSA arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Doval and Salman also deliberated on a range of bilateral, regional issues including the missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities last month and ways to further deepen anti-terror cooperation.
Saudi Arabia is a key pillar of India’s energy security, being a source of 17 per cent or more of crude oil and 32 per cent of LPG requirements of India. Notwithstanding the biggest ever attack on its oil facilities on September 14 that knocked out half of its daily oil production, Saudi Arabia assured India that it was committed to meet the country’s energy security needs.
