PM Modi and Saudi Crown Prince MBS chair SPC meeting: What is the Strategic Partnership Council

PM Modi and Saudi Crown Prince MBS chair SPC meeting: What is the Strategic Partnership Council

Subject :International Relations

Section: Msc

Introduction:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud recently held extensive talks and co-chaired the first summit-level meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). 

India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC)

• Establishment: The SPC was formed during PM Modi’s October 2019 visit to Saudi Arabia, signifying a critical diplomatic step.
• Objective: It aims to “establish a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship“, focusing on cooperation across sectors, including trade, investment, security, and defense.
• Structure: The SPC comprises two main pillars:
  • Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation
  • Committee on Economy and Investments
• Functional Levels: The SPC operates at four functional levels:
  • Summit level (Prime Minister & Crown Prince)
  • Ministerial-level
  • Senior Officials’ Meetings
  • Joint Working Groups (JWGs)
• JWGs and Sub-committees: Each sub-committee has four JWGs:
  • JWGs under the Political Committee:
    • Political & Consular
    • Legal & Security
    • Social & Cultural
    • Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation
  • Under Economic Committee:
    • Agriculture & Food Security
    • Energy
    • Technology & Information Technology
    • Industry and Infrastructure
• Saudi Partnerships: Saudi Arabia has similar partnership councils with other nations, including the UK, France, and China.

Outcomes of Talks on Monday

• Expedited West Coast Refinery Project: India and Saudi Arabia agreed to expedite the $50-billion West Coast refinery project.
• Comprehensive Energy Partnership: Both nations decided to transform their hydrocarbon relationship into a comprehensive energy partnership.
• Pact Signings: Eight pacts were signed during the meeting, encompassing diverse areas, including digitization and investment.
• Identified Areas for Cooperation: Key areas for intensified cooperation were identified, such as energy, defense, semiconductor, and space. Additionally, sectors like education, technology, transportation, healthcare, tourism, and culture were discussed as potential areas of cooperation.
• Infrastructure and Technology: Discussions explored cooperation possibilities in infrastructure and technology domains, including power grids, gas grids, optical networks, and fiber networks.
• Neither 1 nor 2 is correct. The establishment of the SPC did not take place during the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to India during the G20 Summit. The SPC was actually established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2019, not during the G20 Summit.
• India is not the first country to have such a partnership with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia had formed similar strategic partnerships with other countries before India. For example, the United Kingdom (UK), France, and China had previously established such partnerships with Saudi Arabia. So, statement 2 is also incorrect.