On 3rd November 2020, India and Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) Troika held their annual political dialogue in Virtual mode. The leaders discussed the detailed review of India-GCC ties and highlighted the progress in ties in the past years.
Key People:
Dr. S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs led the Indian delegation and The GCC was represented by Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf, Secretary General of GCC, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain and Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates(UAE).
The senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar also participated in the virtual meeting.
GCC also expressed its gratitude for India’s inclusion in the UNSC as a non-permanent member from January 2021.
EAM of India in annual political dialogue:
i.External Affairs Minister (EAM) urged the members of GCC to ease the return of Indian workers and professionals through sustainable travel arrangements.
ii.Both India and GCC countries have agreed to work together to solve the challenges of COVID-19.
iii.EAM notified the GCC on India’s progress in the vaccine development and development and manufacturing of diagnostic and other COVID-19 related equipment.
iv.They also shared the views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
v.They have also affirmed the commitment to reform the multilateral institutions to reflect the reality of 21st century and to address the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic, Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Terrorism.
Recent Related News:
i.On June 17, 2020, India was elected unopposed for the 8th term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for two years (i.e.2021 & 2022) starting January 2021 by gaining 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. Along with India, Mexico, Ireland, Kenya and Norway were also elected. India was the only candidate for the lone seat from the Asia-Pacific category.
ii.On September 24, 2020 External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar participated in the Annual Informal Meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Council of Ministers. The Annual Meeting was chaired by Nepal and was held in virtual mode.
About Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC):
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance of 6 countries in the Arabian Peninsula.
Secretary General– Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf
Members– Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
Established in– 1981
Headquarters– Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
