Jaishankar Hosts Arab League Chief as India Prepares to Co-Chair Key Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meet
EAM Jaishankar meets Arab League Secretary General ahead of India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, who arrived in New Delhi ahead of the India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM). The interaction comes at a crucial time as India intensifies diplomatic engagement with the Arab world. Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation across multiple strategic domains.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar described the interaction as warm and wide-ranging. In a post on X, he stated that both sides discussed strengthening cooperation in various areas and exchanged views on recent regional developments. The talks reflected India’s commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration with Arab nations amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
The upcoming IAFMM, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Saturday, is the first such meeting hosted by India. It will witness participation from Foreign Ministers, Ministers of State, and senior officials from all 22 Arab League member countries. The meeting is being preceded by the 4th India-Arab Senior Officials’ Meeting, held on Friday.
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India will co-chair the second IAFMM along with the United Arab Emirates. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting is taking place after a gap of nearly a decade, with the last Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Bahrain in 2016. The renewed engagement highlights the growing importance of India-Arab ties in the current global context.
The first India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting had identified key areas of cooperation, including economy, energy, education, media, and culture. The second meeting is expected to build on these foundations by expanding and deepening collaboration. India, an Observer to the League of Arab States, views the IAFMM as the highest institutional mechanism driving its strategic partnership with the Arab world.
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