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Jaishankar Meets Palestinian FM, Discusses Gaza Peace & Development

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian in New Delhi, where they exchanged views on the Gaza Peace Plan and regional developments. The ministers reviewed ongoing development cooperation and agreed on new initiatives to advance it. The meeting precedes the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting, hosted jointly by India and the UAE with participation from Arab League members. This high-level dialogue aims to build on existing partnerships across economy, energy, education, media, and culture.

Key Points: Jaishankar, Palestinian FM Discuss Gaza Peace & Cooperation

  • Discussed Gaza Peace Plan
  • Reviewed development cooperation
  • 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting
  • Five priority verticals of cooperation
2 min read

EAM Jaishankar, Palestinian counterpart Aghabekian discuss development cooperation, Gaza Peace Plan

EAM Jaishankar meets Palestine's Varsen Aghabekian in Delhi, reviewing development cooperation and discussing the Gaza Peace Plan ahead of India-Arab meet.

"Glad to meet Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of State of Palestine Varsen Aghabekian. - S Jaishankar"

New Delhi, Jan 30

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Palestine's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian here and discussed development cooperation, the Gaza Peace plan, and regional developments.

"Glad to meet Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of State of Palestine Varsen Aghabekian. Exchanged views on the Gaza Peace Plan and regional developments. Reviewed our development cooperation and agreed on initiatives to take it forward", EAM Jaishankar wrote in a post on X after the meeting.

Aghabekian arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Upon her arrival, Aghabekian, in a post on X, wrote: "Arrived in India to participate in the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting. This visit reaffirms the strong partnership between Palestine and India, and our shared commitment to cooperation with the Arab world."

India is set to host the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting (IAFMM) on January 31. The meeting, being hosted by India and the United Arab Emirates, will have the participation of Foreign Ministers of other Arab League member states and the Arab League Secretary General, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The second India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting is expected to build on existing cooperation and expand the partnership. It will be preceded by the 4th India-Arab Senior Officials' Meeting.

The Foreign Ministers' meeting is taking place after 10 years, as the first meeting was held in Bahrain in 2016. During the first Foreign Ministers Meeting, the leaders identified five priority verticals of cooperation - economy, energy, education, media, and culture and proposed a set of activities across these verticals.

"India Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting is the highest institutional mechanism driving this partnership, which was formalised in March 2002 when India and the League of Arab States (LAS) signed an MoU institutionalising the process of dialogue," the MEA stated.

"A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed for the establishment of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum during the visit of the then Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa to India in December 2008, which was subsequently revised in 2013 in terms of structural organisation. India is an Observer to the League of Arab States, a pan Arab body with 22 member States," it added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see India taking a proactive role in global diplomacy. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is heartbreaking. Hope our development initiatives can bring some relief to the people there. Jai Hind.
R
Rohit P
While I support dialogue, I hope our government is also firmly addressing our own national security concerns in the region. Our foreign policy must first and foremost serve Indian interests. Just a thought.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see India hosting such a significant meeting. The focus on economy, energy, and education makes perfect sense. Building partnerships on practical cooperation is the way forward for stability.
K
Karthik V
Dr. Jaishankar is doing a fantastic job representing India on the world stage. Our historical ties with the Arab world are deep, and it's good to see them being strengthened. This will benefit our economy and our diaspora working there.
M
Michael C
As an observer, India's role as a potential mediator is growing. The fact that this meeting is happening after 10 years shows renewed commitment. Hope it leads to concrete outcomes for peace and development.

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