Jaishankar Meets Saudi Arabia FM Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh
Riyadh: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held meetings with his Gulf counterparts on Monday. During this, he reviewed the progress in bilateral relations as well as discussed ways to deepen them further. Jaishankar arrived in the Saudi Arabian capital on Sunday on the first leg of his three-nation visit to attend the first meeting of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers. 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 $ 184.46 billion in 2022-23.
Discussion with the Prime Minister of Qatar
Jaishankar on Monday met Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Sani, who is also holding the charge of Foreign Minister. He wrote on ‘X’, “Started the day with a good meeting with Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Sani. Discussed on taking forward India-Qatar bilateral relations. Appreciate his views and assessment on regional developments.
Discussion with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and discussed progress in bilateral relations. He wrote in a post on ‘X’, “Met Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh today. Took stock of progress in our bilateral relations and shared our views on global and regional issues.”
Discussion with the Foreign Minister of Oman
Jaishankar also met Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr AlBusaidi in Riyadh and they focused on further strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership. He also met Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani. “Happy to meet Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Appreciate his positive assessment of our relationship and the contribution of the Indian community in Bahrain,” he said in another post on ‘X’.
Discussion with the Foreign Minister of Kuwait
The External Affairs Minister also held a bilateral meeting with his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. He wrote, “Delighted to meet Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya once again. Recall our fruitful meeting in Kuwait recently. Discussed taking India-Kuwait bilateral relations forward by holding a meeting of our Joint Commission soon.”
The Foreign Ministry had said this
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said on Saturday, before Jaishankar’s visit began, that India and the GCC have deep and multifaceted relations, including in the fields of trade and investment and energy, cultural and people-to-people ties. “The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large number of Indian expatriates, numbering around 8.9 million,” it said in a statement.
Jaishankar is on a three-nation tour
Jaishankar has arrived here in the first leg of his three-nation visit. He will leave for Germany from Riyadh where he will meet the German Foreign Minister and the heads of other ministries of the German government and review the entire dimension of bilateral relations. This will be his third bilateral visit to Berlin. In the third and final leg of his visit, Jaishankar will visit Geneva from September 12 to 13. (Language)
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