New Delhi: India on Saturday conveyed to Arab League member nations that “zero-tolerance” for terrorism must be an “uncompromising universal norm” as the two sides deliberated on the shared priority of advancing the Gaza peace plan and ways to navigate the current geopolitical environment.
The issues figured at the second India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi that saw participation of 19 member nations of the Arab League, considered as an influential grouping.
The participants including several foreign ministers called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the start of the meeting.
“The Arab world is a part of India’s extended neighbourhood, linked by deep civilisational bonds, vibrant people-to-people connections and enduring brotherly ties, as well as a shared commitment to peace, progress and stability,” Modi said.
“Confident that enhanced cooperation in technology, energy, trade and innovation will unlock new opportunities and take the partnership to new heights,” he said on social media.
In his inaugural address at the foreign ministerial meeting, Jaishankar said that taking forward the comprehensive peace plan to end the Gaza conflict, based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2803, is a widely shared priority.
“Various countries have made policy declarations on the peace plan, individually or collectively. This is the larger context in which we deliberate on the region’s challenges and prospects,” he said.
The external affairs minister said multiple developments, each of considerable consequence, have taken place in the Middle East over the last few years and many of them have reverberated well beyond the region.
Contemplating this multitude of challenges, our shared interest warrants strengthening forces of stability, peace and prosperity, he said.
In his remarks, Jaishankar flagged serious concerns over the challenges posed by terrorism and called for concerted global efforts to combat it.
“A common threat in both our regions to these objectives is that of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
“Cross-border terrorism is particularly unacceptable because it violates the basic principles of international relations and diplomacy,” he said in remarks seen as an apparent reference to Pakistan.
“Societies targeted by terrorism have the right to defend themselves and will understandably exercise it,” he said.
Jaishankar said it is essential that we strengthen international cooperation to combat what is a “global scourge”.
“Zero-tolerance for terrorism must be an uncompromising universal norm,” he said.
Jaishankar said India has strong partnerships with all Arab League members and the region has some of India’s largest expatriate communities, key energy sources, major trade relationships and emerging technology and connectivity initiatives.
“We are crucial to each other when it comes to food security and health security. Today’s deliberations, while of a collective nature, will nevertheless give a fillip to many bilateral ties,” he said.
Jaishankar said India has developed many more capacities and strengths that are in keeping with the times.
“Many of these are technology related and their application has been people-centric. We believe that sharing experiences and best practices in that regard will be to our mutual benefit,” he said.
In his address, Jaishankar also made a mention of the current geopolitical environment and that nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East.
“We meet at an important juncture when the global order is undergoing transformation for a variety of reasons. Politics, economics, technology and demography are all fully into play,” he said.
“Nowhere is this more apparent than in West Asia or the Middle East, where the landscape itself has undergone a dramatic change in the last year.”
“This obviously impacts all of us, and India as a proximate region. To a considerable degree, its implications are relevant for India’s relationship with Arab nations as well,” he said.
