Jaishankar Chairs Key Meet on India’s Ties with West Asia

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on India's relations with West Asia and told MPs that the country is advancing its trade and connectivity amidst the ongoing conflict in the region."

Highlighted India's close ties with the Gulf and WANA region, including our longstanding partnerships and cooperation in trade, investments, energy, maritime and people to people domains.

"Also underscored our efforts towards welfare of 10 million Indians, as well as ensuring energy and fertiliser security, and advancing our trade and connectivity amidst the ongoing conflict in the region," Jaishankar said in a post on X, while sharing pictures of the Consultative Committee meeting with the MPs.

Sources said several MPs raised the issue of the West Asia war and India's energy requirements, with the minister saying New Delhi is diversifying its energy supply chain even while the crisis is on.

Jaishankar told the meeting that India is the only country that has good ties with both the United States and Iran, the sources said, adding that he talked about securing the safety of 10 million (one crore) Indians in the Gulf region.

He also discussed the issue of US sanctions on buying energy and other products from Iran after the conflict, and said India has strengthened its political ties in the region.

Some MPs also expressed concern over the Makkah pact and asked about India's position on it.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 signed the "Makkah Joint Defence Agreement", under which an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against all of them. The move came amid increasing security concerns in the wake of escalating tensions in West Asia.