RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India met with Saudi King Salman on Sunday during his first official visit to the kingdom, home to a large number of Indian laborers and a major trade partner that supplies around 19 percent of India’s crude oil imports.

Modi’s visit underscored the major business ties between the countries, despite Saudi Arabia’s historically close relationship with India’s long-standing rival Pakistan. Modi visited Pakistan in December, suggesting a thawing of relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Saudi Arabia is traditionally India’s largest supplier of crude oil, and India is one of the world’s largest consumers of crude. Trade between the countries reached $39 billion in 2014, according to a joint statement released after Modi’s meeting with King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to keep its edge over rival Iran, which is looking to increase its own oil exports to India. The kingdom is also rushing to diversify its economy as lower global oil prices impact revenue.

During their meeting, the sides signed five agreements, including plans to cooperate in intelligence sharing related to terror financing and money laundering, as well as a labor cooperation agreement and another to promote bilateral investments in the private sector. The two also agreed on the need to intensify defense cooperation through mutual visits by military experts and joint military exercises.

Associated Press