NEW DELHI: After successfully putting the age controversy to rest, Defence Minister A K Antony will have another critical job ahead.
His two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, starting on Monday, a first by an Indian Defence Minister, will be critical to boost the defence ties between the two countries which have been good albeit stagnant over the past few years. Antony was set to visit Saudi Arabia in 2011.
But the outburst of Arab Spring made him to defer the visit.
Though India and Saudi Arabia have been undertaking joint military exercise, training exchanges and ship visits, the two countries have not signed a defence cooperation agreement so far.
The two countries have been exploring the possibility of enhancing military cooperation that includes training Saudi Arabian forces tackle terrorism in the mountainous areas bordering Yemen.