"We have 5,000 years of business trade": Foreign affairs expert Waiel Awwad on India-Arab ties

Setting the context of long-standing engagement, Awwad, speaking in New Delhi, noted the geographical spread of Arab nations and their shared interests with India, saying, "There are 11 Arab countries in the North African side, and 11 Arab countries in West Asia and also in the Gulf region. Though we share lots of common interests with India, as in India, we always feel that bilateral relations do not stand just at the contemporary level. Actually, we talk of five millennia. We have 5,000 years of business trade, economy, and knowledge exchange between the two civilisations of Indian and the Arab world."

Linking this historical foundation to present diplomatic efforts, he emphasised the importance of the current engagement, adding, "This is a very important visit and a very important summit for India and the Arab world that is taking place, which also gives you an indication of how important the Indian government also feels that it is too close to the Arab world."

Reflecting on developments in recent years, Awwad pointed to the strengthening of ties since 2014, stating, "That said, since 2014, the Prime Minister has elevated relations between India and the Arab world to such an extent that he has been awarded the highest honour in every Arab country he has visited."

Building on this, he highlighted the importance of leadership-level trust, saying, "Therefore, if we can materialise and build up on that trust between the top leaders, that also gives us a good sign that India is one of the main trusted partners for the Arab world."

The current Foreign Ministers' meeting is taking place after a 10-year hiatus, marking a renewed phase of engagement between India and Arab nations.

Providing background to the process, the first meeting was held in 2016 in Bahrain, where ministers identified five priority verticals of cooperation: economy, energy, education, media and culture, and proposed a set of activities across these areas.

The second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting is now expected to build on this existing framework, with a focus on expanding and deepening the partnership.

This dialogue platform represents the highest institutional mechanism driving India-Arab cooperation, which was formalised in March 2002 when India and the League of Arab States signed a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalise the process.

Further strengthening this framework, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed to establish the Arab-India Cooperation Forum during the visit of the then Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa to India in December 2008, and was subsequently revised in 2013 to reflect a revised structural organisation. India is an Observer to the League of Arab States, a pan-Arab body with 22 member states. (ANI)