First ever India-GCC Ministerial meeting held in Riyadh

New Delhi, Sep 09: External Affairs Minister Dr S  Jaishankar visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 8-9 to participate in the first-ever India-GCC joint ministerial meeting for strategic dialogue.

During his visit, Dr Jaishankar co-chaired the meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, who is the current President of the GCC Ministerial Council.

This marked the first meeting between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at the Foreign Ministers’ level. The meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers from all GCC countries and the Secretary General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.

Dr Jaishankar shared a message on X (formerly Twitter), where he highlighted the key aspects of the partnership between India and the GCC. He emphasised the importance of the Indian community in the Gulf, which numbers around 9 million people, and appreciated the efforts made by GCC countries to ensure their welfare.

Dr Jaishankar also highlighted the increasing economic ties between India and the GCC, mentioning energy, trade, investment, connectivity, and technology as areas of mutual benefit. Dr Jaishankar counselled for an early conclusion of the India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and explored new partnerships in areas such as renewables, innovation, education, health, and space. He also highlighted the need to enhance cooperation in defence through increased exchanges, exercises, and industry collaboration.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028, which outlines various joint activities in areas like health, trade, security, agriculture, food security, transportation, energy, and culture. The plan allows for additional areas of cooperation to be included later based on mutual agreement.

Dr Jaishankar and the GCC Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening India-GCC ties, which they noted have seen significant growth in recent years. The leaders also discussed international and regional issues of mutual interest.

In addition to the joint meeting, Dr Jaishankar held separate bilateral meetings with key officials, including the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani; the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud; the Foreign Minister of Oman, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi; the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Abdullah Ali Al Yahya; and the Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.