External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Saudi Arabia today to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. During the visit, he is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of GCC member countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council is a political and economic union of six Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.
Reached Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the 1st India-Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Thanks to Abdul Majeed Al Smari, Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs, for the warm welcome. pic.twitter.com/cZBtBIYBdW
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 8, 2024
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “India and the GCC enjoy deep and multifaceted ties, encompassing political, trade and investment, energy cooperation, cultural and people-to-people ties. The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community of around 8.9 million. The Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC in various sectors.”
Mr Jaishankar will then travel to Berlin, Germany, on a two-day visit from September 10 to 11. This will be his third visit to Berlin as minister. “Both India and Germany share a strong strategic partnership and Germany is one of India’s key trading partners and one of the largest foreign direct investors,” the MEA said.
He will also pay an official visit to Geneva, Switzerland from September 12 to 13. During the visit, he will meet heads and representatives of international organisations with which India is actively engaged.
It is noteworthy that Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit India on a two-day official visit from September 9 to 10. The Crown Prince will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss bilateral cooperation.
Apart from meeting Prime Minister Modi, the Crown Prince will also meet President Draupadi Murmu.
In recent years, India and the UAE have expanded their relationship by advancing to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in February 2022 and a local currency settlement system in July 2023 to promote the use of the Indian rupee and AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham) for cross-border transactions.
India is the UAE’s second largest trading partner, while the UAE is India’s largest trading partner in the Arab world. Total trade between the two countries is projected to reach US$100 billion by the end of the decade.