External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday met with Palestine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian in New Delhi, discussing the Gaza Peace Plan, development cooperation, and key regional developments. Jaishankar highlighted the importance of advancing joint initiatives to deepen India-Palestine partnership.
Aghabekian, who arrived in India on Thursday to attend the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM), emphasized that her visit reinforces the strong ties between India and Palestine as well as the shared commitment to collaboration with the Arab world. Both leaders underscored the need for continued dialogue on peace and development issues.
India is co-hosting the 2nd IAFMM on January 31, along with the United Arab Emirates, bringing together Foreign Ministers of Arab League member states and the League’s Secretary General. The meeting aims to expand cooperation in economic, energy, educational, media, and cultural domains, building on the framework established during the first meeting in Bahrain in 2016.
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The India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is recognized as the highest institutional mechanism guiding India-Arab relations. Established under an MoU signed with the League of Arab States in 2002, it formalizes the process of structured dialogue and collaboration between India and Arab nations.
In addition, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in 2008 to establish the Arab-India Cooperation Forum, later revised in 2013 to enhance structural coordination. India currently holds Observer status in the League of Arab States, a 22-member pan-Arab organization, enabling it to engage strategically on regional issues.
The discussions between Jaishankar and Aghabekian highlighted India’s continued focus on supporting peace initiatives in Gaza while strengthening development and diplomatic engagement across the Middle East. Both sides agreed to explore actionable measures to further economic, cultural, and humanitarian collaboration.
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