India, Gulf countries reiterate commitment to freedom of navigation

New York, Sep 26

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reiterated their commitment to the principle of freedom of navigation, which is now imperiled in the region, during a meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and GCC representatives.

EAM Jaishankar, who co-chaired the India-Gulf Cooperation Council Troika Ministerial meeting here on Friday, said on X that they "reiterated our strong commitment to freedom of navigation and safety of seafarers and commercial shipping".

GCC Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, and Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi were among those at the meeting.

EAM Jaishankar said the meeting "reviewed the progress of the India-GCC Joint Action Plan 2024–28 and discussed ways to further advance our partnership".

The plan was adopted in 2024 at the inaugural India-GCC Foreign Ministers meeting in Riyadh.

It covers cooperation in health, trade, agriculture, food security, transportation, energy and energy security, and culture.

EAM Jaishankar said he "Thanked GCC leaderships for the support extended to the Indian community".

The biggest concentration of the diaspora is in the Gulf region, where over 9 million Indians live.

EAM Jaishankar said in his post that they "welcomed the launch of India-GCC FTA negotiations".

The six-member GCC is currently the largest trade partner for India with bilateral trade recording about $178 billion in 2024-25.

Negotiations resumed in February for the free trade agreement.

In preparation for the ministerial meeting, talks were held in Riyadh last month between Vipul, India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Al-Budaiwi.

EAM Jaishankar said in his post, "Look forward to strengthening ties in the areas of trade, investment, energy, food security, health, new technologies, culture and people-to-people exchanges".

al/rs