PM Modi To Leave For Saudi Arabia Today, Ink Raft Of Pacts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will leave for Saudi Arabia to sign a raft of key pacts in several key sectors including oil and gas, renewable energy and civil aviation. The major pacts to be signed included an agreement to launch an India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council, an MoU to roll out RuPay card, India's digital payment system, and a separate one on bringing coordination between e-migration systems of the two countries, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry T S Tirumurti had said.

In Saudi capital Riyadh, the prime minister will meet Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and hold delegation level talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Modi will also deliver an address at the third edition of Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative, an annual investment forum.

The Saudi Prince will host a banquet dinner for Modi on October 29.

To expand energy ties, two countries are also set to sign an MoU for a joint venture between Indian Oil Middle East and with Saudi company Al Jeri for downstream cooperation and setting up of fuel retail business in the Gulf country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Sunday said it has denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, citing the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has decided not to allow Prime Minister Modi to use the country's airspace, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. He said the decision has been taken in context of the "black day" and in view of the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, it added. In September, Pakistan rejected India's request to allow Prime Minister Modi's flight to use its airspace for his visit to the US