Riyadh, SPA :

 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud held official talks session at Al-Yamamah Palace here yesterday with India s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Indian Prime Minister and the accompanying delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 We appreciate your visit which embodies the depth of relations between our two countries and our two friendly peoples. We praise the economic development achieved by your country. We look forward to enhancing the relations between our two countries in various fields, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said.

 We appreciate your country s interest in the region s issues as well as its keenness on supporting the stability of the region s countries. We hope that international efforts will resolve the Syrian crisis in accordance with the resolutions of Geneva I, and that peace and security prevail in Yemen, and that a political solution is reached through Yemeni-Yemeni consultations sponsored by the UN and in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216. We also stress the importance of continued cooperation and coordination with the government of your country in the field of counter-terrorism, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques added.

 We are confident that our discussions will enhance our relationship and cooperation in various fields in order to achieve the strategic partnership between our two countries to serve the common interests, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques concluded.

For his part, the Indian Prime Minister thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the warm reception and hospitality, stressing the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries, and praising the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in developing bilateral relations for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.

 He pointed out that his country is keen on enhancing relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in various fields, particularly in the field of counter-terrorism, as well as cooperation in the fields of security, defense and increasing mutual investments between the two countries.

 During the talks session, the prospects for bilateral cooperation as well as the developments on regional and international arenas were reviewed.

 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques decorated the Indian Prime Minister with King Abdulaziz Sash.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Indian Prime Minister attended the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement, two cooperation programs, an implementation program and a draft memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of India in the fields of investment promotion, standardization, labor employment, handicrafts, and exchanging intelligence information on money laundering and terrorism financing.

 The talks session was attended by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of National Guard; Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior; Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban; Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf; Minister of Economy and Planning Eng. Adel bin Mohammed Faqih; Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah; Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Adel bin Zaid Al-Toraifi; Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir; Minister of Health Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Faleh; Saudi Ambassador to India Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati.