Gaza crisis our foremost concern, support ceasefire, says S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking at a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) representatives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday described the ongoing situation in Gaza as a matter of “foremost concern”. He stated that India “condemns acts of terrorism and hostage-taking” and supports a ceasefire.
Israel and Gaza have been in conflict since October 7 last year when armed Hamas gunmen raided parts of Israel, killing several civilians. Israel retaliated with massive missile strikes.
Co-chairing the first India-GCC joint ministerial meeting for a strategic dialogue, Jaishankar said, “We have consistently stood for a resolution of the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution.”
He added, “The current situation in Gaza is now understandably our foremost concern. We are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians. We support a ceasefire as soon as possible”.
India and the GCC adopted a joint action plan. Jaishankar expressed India’s desire for an early conclusion of a free-trade agreement with the GCC, offering a “framework of 3Ps — People, Prosperity, and Progress”.
The joint action plan encompasses a wide range of activities, including health, trade, security, agriculture and food security, transportation, energy, and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting was co-chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, who currently presides over the GCC Ministerial Council.
The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. About 9 million Indians live and work in these countries, making the diaspora an important aspect of India’s outreach.
The GCC Secretariat stated, “Investments of GCC countries in India reached approximately $6 billion in various projects,” and noted substantial joint investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector.
‘Useful conversation’ with Russian Foreign Minister
Jaishankar also held separate bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, as well as the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Jaishankar had additional meetings with his counterparts from Russia and Brazil, Sergey Lavrov and Mauro Vieira, respectively.
Lavrov was in Riyadh to attend the Russia-GCC strategic dialogue. Jaishankar shared a photo with Lavrov on X (formerly Twitter), captioned, “A useful conversation with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia today on the sidelines of the GCC meeting.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also posted the photo on its Telegram channel.
After his meeting with Mauro Vieira, Jaishankar posted, “Discussed G20, BRICS, and the Ukraine conflict.” India, Brazil, and China were mentioned as possible intermediaries in the conflict by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last Thursday.
