India Presses Saudi Arabia on Regional Sensitivities Following Defense Pact with Pakistan
India has called on Saudi Arabia to respect shared interests and regional sensitivities in light of a new mutual defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, according to the external affairs ministry. The pact, signed this week, stipulates that any attack on one nation would be viewed as an assault on both, raising concerns about its potential impact on South Asian stability.
The agreement was formalized on Wednesday between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a ceremony in Riyadh. This development follows closely after Israel’s recent airstrikes targeting Hamas figures in Qatar. In its official stance, India emphasized that its longstanding strategic ties with Saudi Arabia, which have grown substantially in recent years, should account for mutual concerns. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a weekly briefing, stated: “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.”
New Delhi views West Asia as an extension of its strategic neighborhood and has indicated it will implement measures to safeguard national security interests amid the evolving dynamics. The ministry noted on Thursday that India was aware of longstanding discussions between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to codify their security collaboration, though the recent timing may have been influenced by heightened tensions from Israeli operations in the region, including strikes on Iran and Qatar.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defense links for decades, with Riyadh providing economic support to Islamabad through bailouts. Concurrently, India-Saudi relations have advanced, including joint military drills between their armies and navies. Officials in New Delhi are examining the pact’s broader effects on regional peace, particularly given Arab nations’ growing doubts about U.S. reliability as a security guarantor.
The full agreement text remains undisclosed, with collective defense provisions outlined only in a joint statement. Experts suggest that legal commitments under the pact require further evaluation. India reiterated its commitment to protecting comprehensive national security in response to the deal.