New Delhi:Discussing the shared priorities of advancing the Gaza peace plan, the conflicts in Sudan and Yemen and the common threat of terrorism at the India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting on Saturday, New Delhi stressed the need for coordinated action to strengthen security and stability in the entire region.
Jaishankar delivered the opening remarks at the second Indo-Arab Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.The meeting, attended by the 19 members of the Arab League, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar, was the second such meeting after the inaugural one held in 2016 and was held against the backdrop of major security challenges across West Asia and churning on the geopolitical stage.
Delegates attending the rally also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the Arab world as part of India’s “extended neighborhood” linked by cultural ties and a shared commitment to peace, progress and stability. “Increased cooperation in technology, energy, trade and innovation will unlock new opportunities and take the partnership to new heights,” he said on social media.
Addressing the meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that taking forward a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict based on UN Security Council Resolution 2803 is a widely shared priority. “Different countries have made policy declarations on peace plans, individually or collectively,” he said.
Jaishankar pointed to changes in the global order due to politics, economics, technology and demographics and said: “Nowhere is this more evident than in West Asia or the Middle East, where the landscape itself has undergone a dramatic change in the past year. This clearly affects all of us and India as a close region.”
While the situation in Gaza has been the focus of attention for the international community, Jaishankar noted other challenges in the region, including the conflict in Sudan, which has “caused serious damage to its society” and in Yemen, which has an impact on the safety of maritime navigation.
“Then there is the concern over Lebanon, where India has troops committed to UNIFIL. Where Libya is concerned, we all have an interest in advancing the national dialogue process. The direction of events in Syria is also important for the well-being of the region,” he said, adding that the shared interests of India and Arab countries require strengthening peace and stabilizing forces.
Jaishankar described terrorism as a common threat in both regions and called for zero tolerance towards terrorism. “International terrorism is particularly unacceptable because it violates the basic principles of international relations and diplomacy,” he said, adding that societies targeted by terrorism have the right to self-defense and that strengthening global cooperation is essential to combat this scourge.
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India has strong partnerships with all Arab League members, and the region has some of India’s largest diaspora communities, key energy sources, major trade ties and emerging technology and connectivity initiatives, Jaishankar said. “We are very important to each other when it comes to food security and health security,” he said.
West Asia is home to about 10 million Indians, most of whom are concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Iraq and Saudi Arabia are among India’s top three oil suppliers along with Russia.
The meeting explored an agenda to strengthen cooperation in 2026-28, including traditional sectors such as energy, agriculture, tourism and human resource development and new sectors such as digital, space, startups and innovation. “We will also consider working together on counter-terrorism and parliamentary exchanges,” Jaishankar said, adding that India is keen to share its expertise in people-centric application of technology-related advances.
Ahead of the meeting, the two sides launched the Indo-Arab Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture on Friday to advance trade and investment ties.
