Saudi foreign minister postpones visits

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir has postponed his visits to Pakistan and India due to the reluctance of the Modi administration to engage in dialogue. Diplomatic sources told Business Recorder that while efforts are under way to defuse the tension between the two nuclear neighbours by various regional and international powers, the reluctance of Modi government to engage in a political dialogue with Pakistan is yet to make any considerable progress.
The Saudi minister for foreign affairs was scheduled to visit New Delhi on Saturday and then Islamabad but he postponed the trip to the two countries for a week or so, as the sources maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet given any 'green signal' for a meaningful engagement with Pakistan.
"We are ready for the talks with India on all outstanding issues including the Kashmir dispute and terrorism. To this end, we have welcomed the offer of mediation from various countries, but it is up to the Indian government to express its readiness for the talks to defuse the tension," said a senior official of the Foreign Office.
Earlier, the sources said the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs was scheduled to visit Pakistan on Friday with a 'special message' of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at de-escalating the tension between Pakistan and India.
The trip was rescheduled due to the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers which held in the UAE from March 1-2 and, according to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who spoke to a private TV channel, the Saudi foreign minister had to visit India and then Pakistan on Saturday. The sources said that the new dates of Jubeir's visit to the country are being worked out at diplomatic channels.
"The Saudis, who have good relations with both the countries, want that the two sides should de-escalate the tension. So, I believe that Saudi authorities are engaged with India so that the trip of the minister for foreign affairs to the two countries takes place and concludes on a positive results," another senior government official maintained. Last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Pakistan and India.