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India's "extended neighbourhood," the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, hold significant potential for enhanced collaboration in trade, health, education, energy, technology and maritime security--this was the key takeaway from the deliberations at Kochi Dialogue 2025.
The dialogue emphasised strengthening institutional mechanisms through inter-ministerial coordination, promoting 1.5-track diplomacy, harmonising accounting and financial systems, and enhancing investment channels to drive mutual growth between India and GCC countries. Addressing barriers in legal dispute resolution mechanisms was also highlighted as crucial to attracting Gulf investments into India. The role of the Indian diaspora was also underscored, calling for their active participation to advance India-GCC relations beyond siloed efforts. The Dialogue's venue, Kochi, was lauded as an ideal setting for fostering these critical discussions. Kochi Dialogue 2025, a two-day Track 1.5 international diplomacy dialogue, brought together diplomats, government officials, key decision-makers, stakeholders and business leaders from India and countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on 16th & 17th January 2025 in Kochi, Kerala. Organised by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), a Kochi-based think tank, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, a first-of-its-kind multi-stakeholder dialogue on the theme 'India's Looking West Policy in Action: People, Prosperity and Progress' aimed at further strengthening India's ties with the countries of the Gulf region was virtually inaugurated by Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, MoS, External Affairs & Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, with a special address by Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General, Gulf Cooperation Council. Attended by diplomatic communities and delegates from the GCC countries--Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia--along with diplomats from Australia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India, the dialogue saw intense discussions, deliberations and opportunities on various themes like trade, energy cooperation, healthcare, education, technology, diaspora connections, and maritime strategic partnerships to further strengthen India-GCC relations. Day two of Kochi Dialogue 2025 began with a special address by Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar PVSM, AVSM, VSM (National Maritime Security Coordinator) on India's Look West Policy. Speaking about how non-traditional threats to maritime security are transnational in nature, he emphasised the need to address them collaboratively by India and the GCC, saying, "80% of the global trade is maritime trade. For India, it is 95%. National prosperity depends on maritime trade. The complexity and scope of maritime security have expanded. Information is the key to finding maritime security. I request the GCC countries to enter into more White Shipping Agreements and for International Liaison Officers collectively as GCC or individual countries. "We need to share the best practices for the prosperity of the region. Be it cyber security or port security, there must be more platforms for sharing these best practices. Trade is maritime in nature. One lakh ships cross the Indian Ocean. The majority is in the Arabian Sea. This shows the trade relations between GCC and India. The more we collaborate, the better for both India and GCC countries, as the volume of trade through maritime shipping routes is so high," he added. (ANI)
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