In light of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expressed India’s solidarity with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia—and reaffirmed India’s support for resolving any supply chain issues for necessities.
According to a statement released by the commerce ministry on Friday, Goyal expressed optimism that the truce declared in the region will persist and open the door for long-term peace and stability during a virtual conversation with GCC secretary general Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi. Goyal, who is now serving as the BJP’s state assembly election coordinator in Tamil Nadu, also communicated virtually with other GCC nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
GCC countries become important as India and the group seek a free trade agreement (FTA) and the group is India’s largest energy provider. Goyal’s virtual talks coincided with India’s intense engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with two cabinet ministers meeting in person with members of the bloc to take advantage of a two-week break in hostilities between Iran and the US-Israel.
S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, while Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister of petroleum, was already in Qatar on April 9 and 10. Goyal expressed India’s unwavering support for the UAE while denouncing recent attacks in the nation during a virtual chat with Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s minister of foreign trade.
He expressed gratitude to him for his ongoing support of the Indian diaspora in the face of ongoing uncertainty. In 2022, a free trade agreement (FTA) was signed between the UAE and India. According to the ministry’s statement, “India-UAE emphasize restoring stability, supply chain continuity, and deepening economic partnership.”
Goyal emphasized the need of strong trade flows in maintaining solid economic ties between the two nations during the discussion. Both sides emphasized coordinated efforts to preserve smooth trade flows and acknowledged the pressure on regional supply chains.
Goyal highlighted India’s continued efforts to support exporters and guarantee the continuation of vital supplies to the nation while praising the UAE’s proactive logistical initiatives, such as the creation of other routes and multimodal transport. Goyal and Al Budaiwi discussed the necessity for coordinated efforts to guarantee smooth trade flows, and Goyal expressed gratitude for steps taken to improve logistics and investigate alternate routes to maintain resilience.
