Nitaqat ‘in best interest of Indian expatriates’

In a bid to allay India’s concerns over Nitaqat, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said yesterday that procedures are being taken “in the best interest of Indian workers.” He said the Kingdom’s campaign against illegal expatriates should not be misconstrued as a move against expatriate workers. “We are not sending expatriate workers back to their countries but asking them to comply with local rules,” Prince Saud told reporters during a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid. Foreign Minister Khurshid also met with Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, and Prince Muqrin, second deputy premier, on his visit to the Kingdom. Khurshid’s meeting with Prince Saud witnessed detailed discussions regarding the impact of the Nitaqat (nationalization) system and labor law reforms on the Indian expatriate community, as well as the process of legalizing the work status of nationals who wish to stay in the Kingdom. Khurshid expressed his country’s sincere appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for announcing a three-month grace period for expatriates. He highlighted the fact that Saudi Arabia hosts the largest number of Indian nationals in the region and emphasized India’s willingness to comply with the Kingdom’s new labor laws. Khurshid highlighted investment opportunities that currently exist in India in the hydrocarbon sector. “Despite the global economic downturn, India and Saudi Arabia continue to grow,” he said after his meeting with Prince Saud. “I highlighted the opportunity for Saudi companies to invest in India and become partners in India’s growth story,” he said. “We agreed to further deepen our economic engagement by utilizing the enormous synergies between our two economies in the hydrocarbon sector and beyond.” Khurshid asserted that the security and stability in the Arabian Peninsula was closely linked to security in South Asia. He talked about India’s position on Iran. Though he did not elaborate, he indicated New Delhi’s preference for dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran in resolving all outstanding issues, adding that New Delhi has always maintained an equal distance with Riyadh and Tehran. The two ministers also discussed the menace of terrorism and agreed to further strengthen their counterterrorism cooperation, which is an essential element of the Riyadh Declaration signed in 2010. “Our cooperation would not only benefit our two countries, but also contribute significantly to the stability and security of the entire region and beyond,” said Khurshid. The Indian minister expressed satisfaction at the progress in Saudi-Indian defense and security ties. “The visit of the Indian defense minister in February last year and the exchange of other defense delegations have contributed in strengthening our defense and security engagement,” he said.   Source: ArabNews