External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called on Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as they together watched India’s indigenously-developed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and Dhruv helicopters perform aerobatics at an international air show here.
Swaraj, who is here for a two-day visit to attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-Arab League Cooperation Forum tomorrow, was received at the Bahrain International airport by her Bahraini counterpart Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
In a break from tradition, the Bahraini King received her at the Sakhir Airbase where the Bahrain International Air show was underway.
King Hamad and Swaraj then together watched India’s Sarang Team with Dhruv helicopters and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas perform aerobatics.
On the sidelines of the air show, Swaraj and the King discussed an entire gamut of bilateral ties. During their meeting, Swaraj recalled her visit to the country in 2014.
Swaraj also visited the India pavilion at the air show where the scientists present gave the Minister a briefing on the Tejas LCA being showcased here.
The Tejas flight, the first at an international air show, was hailed by officials present here as a “historic event“.
The India-Arab League ministerial meeting tomorrow comes over a year after the two sides held their first Senior Officials Meeting in New Delhi in November 2014.
A number of wide-ranging issues from terrorism, security to tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran over the execution of a Shia cleric in the Kingdom are expected to be discussed.
India and Arab League are expected to deliberate on the whole gamut of bilateral issues including trade and investment, energy and culture among others.
India’s trade with most of the Arab countries has grown steadily in the last few years. The Gulf region accounts for over 60 per cent of India’s oil and gas requirement.