Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is in Riyadh to participate in a meeting of the Indo-Saudi Arabia joint commission, called on Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on Saturday.
During the day, Mr. Mukherjee also held talks with Abdullah bin Ahmad Zainal Alireza, Saudi Arabia’s Commerce and Industry Minister, to reinforce commercial and political ties, diplomatic sources said.
Trade, commerce, education, agriculture, and consular issues were the main topics of discussion, the sources said.
Talks were held within the broad parameters of the Delhi Declaration signed during King Abdullah’s January 2006 visit to India. The Delhi Declaration outlined areas of possible tie-ups, including energy. Around 50 Indian businessmen are accompanying the official delegation.
Saudi Arabia’s English daily Arab News reported that a textile exhibition and a buyer-seller meet organised by the Synthetic Rayon and Textile Export Promotion Council was being held on the sidelines of the joint commission meeting.
