New Delhi: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday called for a dialogue between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and other outstanding issues between the two countries, during a meeting in Riyadh with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Crown Prince’s stance aligns with India’s long-held view that all disputes between the two nations are bilateral and do not warrant intervention from a third party or group.
“The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region,” said a joint statement released after Sharif’s meeting with the Prince.
The relationship between India and Pakistan has been strained since 1947 due to Pakistan-based terrorism targeting India and contrary positions on Jammu and Kashmir. In recent years, the Narendra Modi government has consistently maintained that dialogue and terrorism cannot coexist.
Sharif is currently on his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia during his second term. This visit comes at a time when Pakistan is dealing with numerous economic and security crises. During their meeting, the leaders discussed Saudi Arabia’s pledged investment of $5 billion in Pakistan. This financial aid for Pakistan will help the country alleviate pressure on its national finances and strengthen its negotiating position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for separate bailouts.
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