By Farooq Wani
Though New Delhi has often enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, there has been negligible interaction among the militaries of the two nations. But with Indian army chief Gen MM Narvane going to Saudi Arabia is a improvement that clearly indicates that New Delhi and Riyadh are each anxious to establish a far far more complete connection among the two nations. This is undoubtedly a optimistic sign.
The timing of the Indian army chief’s go to assumes higher significance as it comes at a time when Saudi Arabia’s ties with Islamabad are not as affable as prior to. And for this, Islamabad has no one but itself to blame, due to the fact in spite of becoming 1 of the greatest beneficiaries of Saudi economic help, it nevertheless decided to shift allegiance to Turkey, which is openly difficult Riyadh’s supremacy in the neighborhood of Islamic nations. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi went to the extent of threatening Riyadh by saying that if it didn’t convene an OIC meet on Kashmir then Islamabad would go ahead and get other Islamic nations to do so. And Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa who created an try to pacify the House of Saud by a private go to to Riyadh, wasn’t even granted audience with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman!
The most telling and current manifestation of deteriorating relations among Saudi Arabia and Islamabad was the former demanding return of a $3 billion loan along with a $3.2 billion oil credit facility extended to Islamabad in late 2018 to enable it overcome its balance of payments crisis and come out from economic morass. In the previous, the House of Saud has been extremely accommodative in matters regarding loan repayment as far as Pakistan is concerned and therefore its insistence for timely return of the $3 billion loan (which is not at all a substantial quantity for Riyadh) was some thing that Islamabad didn’t anticipate.
So, Islamabad’s public show of its discontentment more than Saudi Arabia not taking a pro-Pakistan stance on Kashmir has backfired due to the fact in addition to the humiliation triggered, Riyadh has its personal extended laundry list of complaints with Islamabad, mostly linked to it toeing Ankara’s line and the Imran Khan government’s tilt towards Iran. But with geopolitical events moving at a quickly pace, driven largely by China’s unilateral and aggressive moves on a number of fronts in the cover of the pandemic and all essential powers in Eurasia concentrating on the shape of items to come following the adjust of guard in the US, the variations among Riyadh and Islamabad has burst out in the open in an unexpected manner.
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman calls the shots in the House of Saud and is the final word on his country’s foreign policy. The Saudis along with the UAE and most other Arab nations have realised that in the present-day context, nations can no longer afford to cocoon themselves into isolated clusters primarily based on religious lines or ethnicity. So, although becoming aspect of groupings like OIC is fine and undoubtedly useful when it comes to dealing with matters typical to all members, but every single nation has to formulate its personal foreign policy that is independent of organisation or association that it could be a member of!
OIC member states have realised India’s developing stature in international diplomacy and financial development as properly as its profitable market place of 1.25 billion persons, not to neglect its significant Indian expat population that gives skilled manpower to Arab nations. On the military front, India’s robust response to Chinese intrusions in Ladakh has also enhanced the country’s image inside the international neighborhood. Indian diplomacy also is undertaking properly- the friction triggered by the Nepal government claiming Kalapani location died down with Gen Narvane going to Nepal exactly where he was conferred the prestigious rank of honorary army chief of Nepal army.
Thus, army Chief Gen Naravane’s go to to Saudi Arabia and UEA are becoming noticed as aspect of the Indian government’s outreach to West Asia and a lot of specialists are of the opinion that this move will lead to additional strengthening of ties with other Arab nations in the days to come. Moreover, considering the fact that New Delhi is also becoming noticed as an influential peace-maker as properly as a trusted companion in the field of safety cooperation amid the quickly altering situation in West Asia, its outreach is naturally getting a optimistic response and outstanding reciprocation.
(The author is Kashmir primarily based senior journalist and is Political Analyst and Television Commentator. Views expressed are private.)