The external affairs ministry Friday stated that India hopes Saudi Arabia would consider "mutual interests and sensitivities" in view of the bilateral strategic relationship.
The statement comes after the mutual defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, an agreement considered to have far-reaching implications for regional security.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement." The agreement states that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both," and was signed soon after Israel conducted targeted attacks against Hamas leaders in Qatar.
In response to the agreement, India—which views West Asia as an integral component of its extended neighbourhood—emphasized that it will do everything required to protect national interests and achieve complete security.
At the ministry's weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal commented: "India and Saudi Arabia have a wide-ranging strategic partnership which has deepened in the last several years considerably. We expect that this strategic partnership will keep in mind mutual interests and sensitivities."
The unveiling of the agreement comes when Arab states have long been making Washington's credibility as a security partner an open question, especially given repeated Israeli military strikes against Iran, Qatar, and other actors in the region. For New Delhi, the treaty is a new cause for concern, particularly the potential that Pakistan could invoke the agreement should relations with India deteriorate in the future.
Saudi Arabia has historically been close to Pakistan in defence relations and has often provided financial assistance to enable Islamabad to weather its economic storms. However, over the past decade Riyadh has also established a closer security and economic relation with India with mutual military and naval exercises.
New Delhi had already known, according to Indian officials, that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were considering a formal security pact to formalize their historical defence cooperation. Authorities are now carefully evaluating the deal's likely implications on regional stability and India's own security setup.
Responding to a question on the possibility of nations like the UAE and Qatar joining the defence alliance, Jaiswal referred to India's strong relation with both the countries. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent conversation with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and highlighted the visit of UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Reem Al Hashimy, to New Delhi for discussions with foreign secretary Vikram Misri. Describing India’s partnerships with these Gulf nations as “expansive,” Jaiswal added: “These conversations continue to happen.”
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, on Thursday, stated that "the doors are not closed" for other Arab countries to become signatories to the agreement with Saudi Arabia. Explaining further, he stated no provision bars other nations from joining. Asked in a television interview if Pakistan's nuclear weapons can be used under the agreement, Asif responded: "What we have, our capabilities, will absolutely be available under this pact."
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