External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday on a two-day visit to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Mr Jaishankar is in Riyadh on the first leg of his three-nation visit, where he will also visit Germany and Switzerland.
“Arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the first meeting of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers. Thank you Abdul Majeed Al Smari, Deputy Minister of Protocol Affairs for the warm welcome,” Mr Jaishankar said in a post on 24 November.
Visited the Saudi National Museum and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives in Riyadh.
India’s deep historical ties were brought to the fore which now serve as the basis for developing a strong contemporary relationship.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 8, 2024
The GCC is an influential group that includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. India’s total trade with GCC countries stood at US$ 184.46 billion in FY 2022-23.
Later, Mr Jaishankar visited the Saudi National Museum and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives in Riyadh.
“This brought to the fore India’s deep historical ties, which now serve as the foundation for developing strong contemporary ties,” he said in another post.
In Riyadh, Mr Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of several GCC member countries.
Ahead of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi on Saturday that India and the GCC enjoy deep and multifaceted ties, covering trade and investment, energy, cultural and people-to-people ties.
“The GCC region has emerged as a key trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community of around 8.9 million,” the statement said.
“The Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC in various fields,” it said.
From Riyadh, Mr Jaishankar will travel to Germany where he will meet the German Foreign Minister as well as German Government leadership and other ministers to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations.
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