EAM Jaishankar in Saudi Arabia for India-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meet
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar arrived in the Saudi capital on Sunday on a two-day visit to attend the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Jaishankar is here on the first leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Germany and Switzerland.
“I arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Thanks to Abdulmajeed Al Samari, Deputy Minister for Ethical Affairs, for the warm welcome,” Jaishankar posted on X.
The GCC is an influential bloc that includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. India’s total trade volume with GCC countries in FY 2022-23 is estimated at USD 184.46 billion.
In Riyadh, Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several GCC member states.
Ahead of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said on Saturday that India and the GCC enjoy deep and multifaceted ties, including trade and investment, energy, culture 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 numbering 8.9 million,” it said in a statement.
“The Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC in various fields,” it said.