Army Chief General MM Narwane is expected to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week. The purpose of this visit is to further strengthen defense and security relations with both influential countries of the Gulf region.
Sources said that General Narwane may leave on Sunday. They are expected to stay in each other for two days. His itinerary is currently being finalized. The first stop for the visit of the Chief of Army Staff will be Saudi Arabia. Sources say that during the visit General Narwane will hold talks with the top military leadership of both countries.
India’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have gained a lot in the last few years. It is reported that Saudi Arabia is keen on joint production of defence equipment with India. Saudi Arabia is a major trading partner of India as well as a large source of energy. India imports around 18 percent of its crude oil needs from Saudi Arabia. Apart from this, it is also a major source of LPG for India.
Army Chief General Narwane went to Nepal on a three-day visit last month, which was of considerable diplomatic importance. In October, Army Chief Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan went on a very important visit to Myanmar with Shringla. During this time India decided to supply an invading submarine to the Myanmar Navy. At the same time, both sides had agreed to further strengthen military and security relations.
Meanwhile, amid the deployment of P-8I aircraft along the border in view of the ongoing military deadlock with China, Naval Chief Karambir Singh has said that his force is ready to meet the dual challenges of Corona and China. On the eve of Navy Day, Singh said that we are working closely with the Army and Air Force to deal with China’s challenges on LAC.
