Dubai: Saudi Arabia's legislative body,
the Shura Council, has approved the draft agreements of an
extradition treaty and a prisoner exchange deal with India
inked during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Riyadh
early this year.
"The two draft agreements were approved following
detailed discussions by the members," the council said in a
statement.
The agreements, the council agreed, should be executed
for better security and stability of the two countries.
"This would help the two friendly countries not only
strengthen bilateral relations but also serve the interests of
the citizens of the respective countries who are living in
each other's states," he said.
During Singh's visit to the Kingdom in March this
year, five bilateral agreements, including an extradition
treaty and the agreement on transfer of prisoners, were
signed.
The extradition treaty is part of efforts to step up
bilateral cooperation in the area of security and will help in
apprehending wanted persons in each other's country.
It will be in line with the standard format followed
across the world and will be governed by international law, an
official said.
The agreement on prisoners will facilitate the
transfer of Indian prisoners back to India where they will be
able to serve the remaining part of their sentences given by a
Saudi court.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 06, 2010, 13:29