Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah on May 10 held separate telephonic conversations with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, discussing efforts aimed at reducing the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, held two phone calls today with Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India and Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan,” the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.
“During the calls, discussions focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions and end ongoing military confrontations. His Highness affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to the security and stability of the region and its close and balanced relations with both friendly countries,” read a statement issued by the ministry.
The call came as Pakistan showed no signs of de-escalating tensions and continued to attack the civilian and military infrastructure, including places of religious worship, in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan.
It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir visited New Delhi on May 8 and called on Jaishankar.
The Saudi Minister’s India visit, labelled as “unscheduled” by analysts, came at a time Pakistan escalated tensions at the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians. The Indian armed forces on May 7 had launched Operation Sindoor, targetting nine high-value terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the dastardly terror attack.
In a separate statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry mentioned that Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir’s visit to India and Pakistan on May 8-9 took place upon the directives of the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“The visit comes as part of the Kingdom’s efforts towards de-escalation, ending ongoing military confrontations, and resolving all disputes through dialogue and diplomatic channels,” the statement mentioned.