NSA Ajit Doval meets US, Emirati counterparts, Saudi Crown Prince

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met his US and Emirati counterparts and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Saudi Arabia "to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world", the White House said on Sunday.

Doval met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Jeddah.

“Sullivan also held bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince, Sheikh Tahnoon, and Mr. Doval to discuss bilateral and regional matters. He looks forward to further consulting with Mr Doval on the margins of the Quad Summit later this month in Australia,” the White House added in a readout of the meeting.

Doval and Sullivan have met for the first time after they launched the ambitious India US ICET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) dialogue in January.

Sullivan also reviewed the significant progress in talks with Crown Prince Mohammed to further consolidate the 15-month truce in Yemen and welcomed ongoing UN-led efforts to bring the war to a close, as well as covering a range of other issues.

"The four delegates agreed to maintain regular consultations and follow up on the matters discussed throughout the day," the White House said.

Axios that the US, Saudi, Emirati and Indian national security advisers were to discuss a possible major joint infrastructure project to connect Gulf and Arab countries via a network of railways that would also be connected to India via shipping lanes from ports in the region. The project is one of the key initiatives the White House wants to push in the Middle East as China's influence in the region grows, the report said. The Middle East is a key part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) vision. A US official had said the project would be one of many topics discussed during the visit.

The Indian, Emirati and Saudi embassies in Washington did not respond to requests for comment, Axios said.

Sullivan hinted at this initiative during his speech on Thursday at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "If you remember nothing else from my speech, remember I2U2, because you will be hearing more about it as we go forward," he said.

Sullivan added the fundamental notion is to connect South Asia to the Middle East to the US "in ways that advance our economic technology and diplomacy." He also said a number of projects are already underway "and some new excIting steps that we're looking forward to undertaking in the months ahead".