BILATERAL ISSUES

BAHRAIN

Buyer Seller Meet on Indian coffee between Indian exporters and Bahraini importers, Bahrain, 13 June 2022.

Embassy of India, Bahrain and the Coffee Board of India jointly organised a hybrid “Buyer Seller Meet” & presentation on Indian coffee on 13th June 2022. The event was attended physically by more than 20 representatives of leading Bahraini coffee houses, roasteries & Importers in the premises of the Embassy while 20 Indian coffee exporters joined the event virtually.

2. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Piyush Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Bahrain & Mr. K.G. Jagdeesha, CEO & Secretary, Coffee Board of India. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador said that there is immense potential for increasing bilateral trade & cooperation in this sector as coffee is a preferred drink in Bahrain. He also mentioned that the bilateral trade between two countries is constantly witnessing increasing trend and has reached its highest ever mark of about US$1.5 billion in 2021-22. In its presentation, Coffee Board of India highlighted that Indian coffees are shade grown, handpicked and sun dried and this typically mild coffee with exotic full bodied taste and fine aroma has the ability to provide the right balance to the cup and can be a preferred choice of beverage in Bahrain due to its uniqueness.

3. Embassy of India, Bahrain has brought out a booklet containing information about GI-tagged coffee of India and details of Indian coffee exporters.

4. In the least two years, Bahrain’s import of coffee from India increased by almost 145% from 33 MT in 2020-21 to 81 MT during 2021-22, comprising approx. 20% of Bahrain’s total coffee imports.

5. This meeting provided an opportunity for Bahraini coffee importers to connect with the Indian exporters and is expected to increase business between the two countries in this sector. Source: Embassy of India, Bahrain.

IRAN

Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls on Prime Minister, New Delhi, 08 June 2022.

His Excellency Hossein Amirabdollahian, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is on an official visit to India, paid a courtesy call today on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Welcoming the dignitary, Prime Minister warmly recalled the long-standing civilizational and cultural links between India and Iran.  The two leaders discussed ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives.  Prime Minister stressed that both countries should work to accelerate exchanges in the post-COVID era. 

Prime Minister requested the Iran Foreign Minister to also transmit his greetings to His Excellency President Ebrahim Raisi, and looked forward to meeting the President of Iran at an early date. Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB).

ISRAEL

H.E. Lt Gen (Res) Benjamin Gantz, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Israel calls on PM, New Delhi, 02 June 2022.

H.E. Lt Gen (Res) Benjamin Gantz, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Israel, who is on an official visit to India, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today.

The leaders reviewed the rapid growth in defence cooperation between India and Israel over the past few years.  Prime Minister encouraged Israeli defence companies to benefit from opportunities of co-development and co-production in India. Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh & his Israeli counterpart Mr Benjamin Gantz hold bilateral talks in New Delhi, New Delhi, 02 June 2022.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister of Israel Mr Benjamin Gantz in New Delhi on June 02, 2022. A wide range of issues concerning bilateral, regional and defence industrial cooperation were discussed during the meeting. The two Ministers reviewed the existing military-to-military activities which have increased despite the challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic. They discussed ways to increase cooperation in all domains with a focus on Research & Development in future technologies and defence co-production.

Both the Ministers acknowledged mutual security challenges and their convergences on a number of strategic and defence issues. They expressed commitment to work together to enhance cooperation in all forums. With the intention to further strengthen the existing framework of the Indo-Israeli defence cooperation architecture, both sides adopted the India-Israel Vision on Defence Cooperation. A Letter of Intent on enhancing cooperation in the field of Futuristic Defence Technologies was also exchanged between the two Ministers.

Earlier in the day, the Defence Minister of Israel visited the National War Memorial and paid homage to the fallen heroes by laying wreath at the monument. He was accorded a Ceremonial Guard of Honour before his bilateral meeting with Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh.

The visiting dignitary reached New Delhi in the morning of June 02, 2022 an official visit to India. It was his first visit to India with an aim to strengthen the defence ties between the two countries. Defence cooperation has been one of the significant pillars of the bilateral cooperation. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of the official diplomatic ties between India and Israel. Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB).

QATAR

Visit of Vice President of India to Qatar, Doha, 05 June 2022.

Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Doha yesterday (4 June 2022), on the third leg of his 3-nation tour. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Shri Sushil Kumar Modi (Rajya Sabha), Shri Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (Rajya Sabha) and Shri P. Ravindhranath (Lok Sabha). Hon’ble Vice President was warmly received by H.E. Mr. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and accorded ceremonial welcome with a Guard of Honour upon arrival.

2. Today (5 June) morning, Hon’ble Vice President called on Father Amir H.H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Later, he met the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani at Amiri Diwan. Minister of Public Health H.E. Dr Hanan Mohammad Al Kuwari and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi were also present during the meeting. Both sides positively assessed the developments in bilateral relations and agreed to further strengthen their historic friendship in all areas.

3. Hon’ble Vice President expressed happiness at the first ever visit at Vice President level from India to Qatar. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the continued engagement at the highest levels between both countries since the landmark visits of Qatar’s Amir to India in 2015 and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Qatar in 2016. They agreed that high level engagement should be sustained, including through an early visit of Qatar’s Amir to India. Both sides also looked forward to the convening of the Joint Commission between the two sides at Foreign Minister level later this year. Both sides also agreed to promote bilateral parliamentary exchanges.

4. Hon’ble Vice President reiterated the high importance attached by India to close and friendly relations with Qatar and the commitment to deepen multifaceted bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security, defence, technology, culture, education, health, media and people to people contacts. He thanked the Qatari leadership for taking great care of the Indian community. On his part H.H. Father Amir recalled the historic relations between both countries which are based on mutual trust and appreciated the contribution of the Indian community in the development of Qatar. An understanding has been reached to set up an ICCR Chair of Indian studies at Qatar University. ANI and Qatar News Agency have also agreed to enhance bilateral media cooperation.

5. Both sides expressed strong commitment to further enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation. H.H. Father Amir asked Hon’ble Vice President about sectors for more investment opportunities in India. Hon’ble Vice President invited the Qatari side to explore the significant opportunities in a range of sectors including infrastructure, connectivity both physical and digital, energy, defence and hospitality. Qatar side also invited Indian entities to look for opportunities in sectors like education, pharmaceuticals and healthcare in Qatar. Both sides discussed the impact of recent global developments on food and energy security. They renewed their long-term commitment to energy partnership. Hon’ble Vice President assured the Qatari leadership of India’s assistance in meeting Qatar’s food security.

6. Later today, Hon’ble Vice President will address an India-Qatar Business Forum jointly

organized by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM, along with Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Leading businessmen from both India and Qatar are expected to participate in the Business Forum. A Start Up Bridge between Invest India and Invest Qatar will be inaugurated by Hon’ble Vice President during the Forum. It is hoped that the Forum will result in new networking opportunities for trade and investment between both sides. Qatar’s FDI in India is in excess of USD 450 million and there is great potential for increasing these investments. Invest India and Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar have reached an understanding on cooperation to promote two-way investments between both countries. Source: Embassy of India, Doha.

Vice President lauds India-Qatar economic partnership; calls for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit, New Delhi, 06 June 2022.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu highlighted the strength of India-Qatar ties and called for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit. Suggesting that the two countries have a special relationship that evolved over centuries, Shri Naidu called for further enriching the robust partnership and diversifying the trade basket, which is currently dominated by energy products.

Addressing the Qatari businesspersons during the India-Qatar Business Forum in Doha, Qatar yesterday, Shri Naidu highlighted the achievements of India in recent years and said that “epicentre of growth has shifted from the West to the Asia Region, and India has emerged as one of the strong drivers of this growth”. He stressed that the Indian government has been improving the ease of doing business and pointed out that even during the pandemic in 2021, eliminated more than 25 thousand compliances.

Shri Naidu expressed happiness that India-Qatar has touched a new milestone of US$ 15 billion in 2021-22 and noted that there has been a steady increase in the number of registered Indian businesses in Qatar which has crossed 15,000. He observed that there has also been an increase in the Foreign Direct investment from Qatar to India in the recent years.

On this occasion, the Vice President launched the “India-Qatar Start Up bridge” that aims to link the start-up ecosystems of the two countries. Underlining that India has been fostering an environment of innovation, he noted that India has emerged as the 3rd largest ecosystem for start-ups globally, with over 70,000 registered Start-ups. India is home to 100 unicorns with a total valuation of over US$ 300 billion, he added.

Marking the occasion of the Environment Day, the Vice President noted that India has been making sustained efforts for the protection of environment and combating climate change. He recalled India’s leadership in establishing the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and increasing the thrust on renewable energy. He invited Qatar, as India’s trusted partner in its energy security, to be a partner in this journey for sustainability and join the ISA.

Shri Naidu expressed happiness that a Joint Business Council between Business Chambers of India and Qatar has been established and that a Joint Task Force on Investments would take its work forward. He also complimented Invest India and Qatar Investment Promotion Agency for entering into a partnership of guiding and assisting businesses on both sides to tap new and emerging opportunities.

Visit to Qatar Foundation, a state-led non-profit organization: Earlier today, Shri Naidu visited the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit organization in Qatar. Shri Naidu appreciated Qatar Foundation’s efforts in education, health, science & technology and community development.

Visit to National Museum: The Vice President also visited the National Museum of Qatar today. Praising the Museum for providing a unique and immersive experience of Qatar’s rich history and traditions, he expressed happiness to see the display of historical connect between India and Qatar.

Call-on by the Speaker of Qatar Shura Council: Later in the day, the Speaker of Qatar Shura Council, Mr Hassan Abdulla Al-Ghanim, accompanied by three members of the Shura Council, called on the Vice President. The Shura Council is the legislative body of the State of Qatar, with 45 members.

In an interaction with the Speaker, Shri Naidu called for deepening the engagement between Indian and Qatari Parliaments and promoting Parliamentary exchanges. As the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri Naidu extended an invitation to the Speaker and the Members of the Shura Council to visit India.

Vice President, noting that the year 2023 marks 50 years of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Qatar, suggested that the two Parliaments also plan an event to mark this milestone. He also called for more collaboration between India and Qatar at multilateral forums like the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and others.

In this visit, Shri Naidu is accompanied by Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, Member of Parliament, Shri Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Member of Parliament, and Shri P. Raveendranath, Member of Parliament, senior officials from Vice President Secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs. Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB).

SAUDI ARABIA

India-Saudi Arabia Senior Officials Meeting, New Delhi, 08 June 2022.

India-Saudi Arabia Senior Officials Meeting of the Political, Security, Social and Cultural Committee of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council was held at Riyadh on 08 June 2022.

2. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA) led the Indian delegation, which included officials from the Embassy of India in Riyadh and Ministry of External Affairs. The Saudi delegation was led by Dr. Saud Al Sati, Deputy Minister for Political and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and included other officials from Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3. Both sides reviewed the overall bilateral cooperation and agreed to submit their recommendations to the Ministerial Committee of the Strategic Partnership Council.

4. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed also interacted with the Indian community at an event in the Embassy on 08 June 2022 and informed them of the latest initiatives undertaken by the Government of India for the welfare of the Pravasi Bharatis. Source: Embassy of India, Riyadh.

UAE

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Cooperation in the field of Industries and Advanced Technologies, New Delhi, 08 June 2022.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today has approved the proposal for signing a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Cooperation in the field of Industries and Advanced Technologies.

Growing India-UAE economic and commercial relations contribute to the stability and strength of a rapid diversifying and deepening bilateral relationship between the two countries. India-UAE bilateral trade, valued at US$ 180 million (Rs.1373 crore) per annum in the 1970s has increased to US$ 60 billion (Rs.4.57 lakh crore) making the UAE, India's third largest trading partner for the year 2019-20 after China and the US. Moreover, the UAE is the second largest export destination of India (after US) with an export value of US$ 29 billion (Rs.2.21 lakh crore) for the year 2019-2020. The UAE is eighth largest investor in India with an estimated investment of US$ 18 billion (Rs.1.37 lakh crore). Indian investments in the UAE are estimated at around US$ 85 billion (Rs.6.48 lakh crore).

India and the UAE have signed a bilateral "Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" (CEPA) on 18/02/2022. This agreement has potential to increase trade between India and the UAE from US$ 60 billion (Rs.4.57 lakh crore) to US$ 100 billion (Rs.7.63 lakh crore) in the next five years.

The MoU envisages cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis in the following areas:

a. Strengthening the Supply Chain Resilience of Industries

b. Renewable & Energy Efficiency

c. Health and life sciences

d. Space Systems

e. Artificial Intelligence

f.  Industry 4.0 Enabling Technologies

g. Standardization, metrology, conformity assessment, accreditation, and Halal certification.

The MoU aims at strengthening and developing industries in both nations through investments, technology transfer and the deployment of key technologies in industries. This is likely to generate employment across the economy.

The implementation of MoU may lead to increase in research and innovation in all areas of mutual cooperation, particularly in the areas of Renewable Energy, Artificial Intelligence, Industry Enabling technologies and Health and Life science. This may lead to growth of these sectors, increased domestic production, enhanced exports and reduction in imports.

Signing of the MoU will result in fulfilling the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a clarion call given by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India in making India a self-reliant nation. Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Meeting between Prime Minister and President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, 28 June 2022.

Prime Minister made a brief stopover at Abu Dhabi on his return from Munich today. Prime Minister called on President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since August 2019 when Prime Minister visited Abu Dhabi last.

The main purpose of the visit was for Prime Minister to convey his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month. Prime Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as well as family members including H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dy Prime Minister, H.H. Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MD, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation among others.

Prime Minister also congratulated Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the third President of the UAE and becoming the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Both leaders reviewed various aspects of India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which they have carefully nurtured over the past few years. During their Virtual Summit on 18 February, both countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which has since entered into force on 01 May. CEPA is expected to further boost trade and investment between both countries. Bilateral trade in FY 2021-22 was about USD 72 billion. UAE is India’s third largest trade partner and second largest export destination. UAE FDI in India has continuously increased over the past few years and currently stands at over USD 12 billion.

During the Virtual Summit, both leaders had also released a Vision Statement which has laid the roadmap for bilateral cooperation in coming years in diverse areas including trade, investment, energy including renewable energy, food security, health, defence, skills, education, culture and people-to-people ties. Both leaders expressed satisfaction that India and UAE continue to forge closer partnership in these areas building on their close and friendly relations and historical people-to-people connect. India-UAE have a strong energy partnership which is now acquiring new focus on renewable energy.

Prime Minister thanked UAE President and Abu Dhabi Ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan for taking great care of 3.5 million Indian community in UAE especially during COVID-19 pandemic. He invited Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to visit India at an early date. Source: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

PERMANENT MISSION OF INDIA TO THE UN

UNSC meeting on Yemen, India Statement, New York, 14 June 2022.

Thank you, Mr. President. I join other colleagues in thanking the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Ms. Ghada Mudawi from the UN Office for Coordination of the Humanitarian Affairs, for their briefings. I also thank Ms. Al Salafi for her insights.

2.    We welcome the agreement between the parties to the conflict to renew the truce for additional two months. The truce has helped reduce violence and civilian casualties. It has provided an opportunity for a first direct meeting between the parties under the UN auspices. It has also resulted in significant gains on the humanitarian side as well.

3.    The opening of the Sana’a airport has brought immense relief to many Yemenis, in particular to those who need urgent medical care. Since the commencement of the truce, more than 2700 Yemenis have been able to travel from Sana’a airport to Jordan and Egypt and back. We appreciate the flexibility demonstrated by the Government of Yemen in facilitating these travels. Similarly, the increase in the number of fuel ships entering Hudaydah port is a welcome development. At a time of global oil price rise, entry of these ships has alleviated the suffering of millions of Yemenis.

4.    The ceasefire has also enabled the humanitarian agencies to scale up and deliver aid to areas that were hitherto inaccessible to them due to the fighting. We welcome these positive developments and encourage the parties to build on them to convert the ceasefire into a durable and long-lasting ceasefire.

5.    Despite these developments, the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen continue to face significant challenges. The international community must continue its support to the Government of Yemen to help them overcome these challenges.

Mr. President,

6.    I would like to highlight three issues that are critical to sustain the continued cessation of hostilities in Yemen.

First, the full and meaningful implementation of all measures agreed as part of the truce agreement is necessary. While there has been considerable progress in the delivery of fuel at Hudaydah port and opening of Sana’a airport, the opening of roads in Taiz has not witnessed much progress. Immediate progress in opening of the roads is not only a humanitarian imperative, but also extremely important to ensure that the implementation of the truce agreement is not lopsided.

Second, the smooth functioning of the Military Coordination Committee, coordinated by the UN Special Envoy, is necessary to help prevent any further escalation and ensure the complete cessation of military operations. We welcome the recent meetings of the Committee and the agreement to set-up a joint coordination room. We encourage regular meetings of the Committee, which is important to sustain the truce.

Third, a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, with meaningful participation of women, must commence parallelly with the goal of achieving an inclusive and peacefully negotiated settlement to the conflict. We urge all Yemeni parties to work towards such a settlement and we appreciate the UN Special Envoy’s continued consultations with all relevant stakeholders in Yemen towards this end.

7.    The condition of FSO SAFER continues to pose an environmental, humanitarian, and maritime threat. We appreciate pledges by Saudi Arabia and the US for the UN operational plan to combat this threat and also welcome UN's crowd-funding campaign to bridge the funding gap. We hope this long-pending issue would be addressed quickly with additional funding.

Mr. President,

8.    As a long-standing friend of Yemen, India will support a robust and inclusive political solution, which fully respects Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Only such a solution can end the conflict in Yemen and restore peace, security, stability and prosperity in the country. I thank you. Source: Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

UNSC briefing/consultations on Syria (humanitarian), India Remarks, New York, 20 June 2022.

I join others in thanking Under Secretary General Martin Griffiths for his briefing.

2.    The humanitarian situation in Syria, as evident from today’s briefing, continues to worsen by the day. The number of people needing humanitarian assistance has now crossed 14.5 million, with essential food items and fuel in short supply. Food insecurity has reached historic highs and an estimated 60% of the population is food insecure, as per the UN.

3.    Moving decisively forward on the political track in Syria thus remains an urgent imperative to alleviate the sufferings of its people. To realize this, all parties, particularly the external players need to display their commitment, in tangible terms, to a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned UN-facilitated political process in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The initiatives of the regional countries in normalizing the relations with Syria can also positively contribute to addressing the humanitarian situation. Conversely, recent steps such as launch of a military operation in NE Syria and similar acts can destabilize an already fragile situation.

4.    We also need to avoid linking humanitarian and developmental assistance with the progress in the political process. Such a position will only exacerbate the humanitarian sufferings. There is an urgent need to scale up assistance and to ensure that humanitarian agencies receive the necessary funding. International community needs to constructively look at promoting projects, which will bring much needed jobs and economic opportunities for the Syrian people.  In the face of falling production of food staples and issues related to water shortage, particularly in the Euphrates river basin, it is important that we address the collective concerns of the Syrian people with utmost seriousness.

5.    We also believe that a nation-wide comprehensive ceasefire is in the larger interests of the Syrian people. While cross-border operations are predictable and important, they cannot continue to exist in perpetuity. We have also noted the ongoing efforts, including the 5th crossline convoy to NW Syria a few days ago, and reiterate that OCHA and UN agencies need to focus on more efforts to enhance crossline operations.

6.    India has been repeatedly reiterating the looming threat posed by resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria. We cannot discuss humanitarian situation by ignoring the impact of terrorist groups on civilian lives. India has been consistently highlighting how external players have contributed to the growth of terrorist groups in Syria. The continuing neglect of this issue by the international community will cause irreparable damage to our collective fight against terrorism. The growing activities of terrorist groups such as ISIL/Daesh are also contributing to the worsening humanitarian situation.

7.    The situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps housing women and children, also continues to remain serious. Grave concerns remain over the conditions in the camps, where several criminal activities including murders have been reported in 2022.

8.    We are concerned that the humanitarian assistance to Syria in 2021 was less than the previous year and thus there is an urgent need to scale up. In this regard we request OCHA to harmonize the data related to early recovery and resilience projects by the end of this month in a comprehensive manner so that Council has before it, a holistic view, well before expiry of the cross-border authorization.

9.    In conclusion, India has continued to extend developmental assistance and human resource development support to Syria through grants and lines of credits for developmental projects, supply of medicine and food, artificial limb fitment camps, a Next Generation IT centre and capacity building training programs. Since the beginning of the conflict, India has always stood by the Syrian people in their hour of need and will continue to do so.

I thank you. Source: Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

UNSC Briefing & Consultations on Libya, Statement by R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor, New York, 27 June 2022.

Mr. President,

I would like to thank the Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. I also thank Ms. Bushra Alhodiri for her remarks, and I welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Libya in today’s meeting.

2.    We note with concern that the progress we saw after the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement is not only in danger of coming to a halt, but there are also indications of a risk of backsliding. We noted with a high degree of concern the reports of armed clashes and mobilizations of armed groups in and around Tripoli.

3.    It is also regrettable that there is still no agreement on the Constitutional basis for holding elections. In this regard, we note that the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh and President of the High Council of State Khaled Al-Mishri are scheduled to meet at the UN Office at Geneva on 28-29 June to discuss the draft constitutional framework for holding elections.

4.    We urge all parties concerned to strive to resolve all outstanding political issues peacefully, keeping the larger interests of the Libyan people in mind. We hope that all parties will work together to maintain peace and stability in the country. In this regard, we once again reiterate the importance of holding the Presidential and Parliamentary elections at the earliest. It has been about half a year since the missed milestone for holding elections as decided by Libyans themselves. It is important that the stalemate not be allowed to continue.

5.    The priority right now is to ensure that elections are held at the earliest in a free, fair, inclusive, and credible manner. We hope that all parties in Libya can unite around this common purpose. It is important for the Security Council and the international community to support the Libyan people as they prepare for the elections. Violence of any form could undermine the progress achieved since 2020, and should be strongly opposed.

6.    It is also important to see concrete progress in the full and complete withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries. It is regrettable that after over a year and a half since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement we are yet to see tangible progress in this regard. Continued presence of foreign forces and mercenaries is detrimental to the peace and stability of the country and the region. In this regard, we would like to stress here that, as noted very clearly by the Panel of Experts of the Libya Sanctions Committee in their recent report, the so-called military training provided by some countries and the presence of their troops on Libyan soil is also a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, more specifically Paragraph 9 of UNSCR 1970 (2011).

7.    It is important to ensure that the political process in Libya is fully Libyan-led and Libyan-owned with no imposition or external interference.

8.    In this context, let me also stress the importance of planning for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups and non-state armed actors. Libya also needs an inclusive and comprehensive national reconciliation process.

9.    It is also important for the international community to focus its attention on the threat of terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region. Reports of the Secretary General and the Panel of Experts have highlighted the presence of training camps of ISIL and its affiliates in southern Libya. ISIL’s continued ability to launch attacks is deeply concerning. The focus of this Council should be to eliminate every threat posed by ISIL and other terror groups anywhere in the world. Terrorism is a growing threat to Africa and it is important for the Security Council to focus on this issue before it is too late.

Mr. President,

10.    India has traditionally enjoyed close and mutually beneficial bilateral ties with Libya and we remain committed to supporting Libya and the Libyan people in their endeavour to bring about lasting peace in the country.

I thank you. Source: Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

UNSC meeting on Question of Palestine, India Statement, New York, 27 June 2022.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland for his briefing on the implementation of resolution 2334.

2.     Resolution 2334 had reaffirmed the international community’s commitment to the two-State solution and called upon parties to prevent all acts of violence against civilians and that all settlement activities must cease.  It also underscored the need to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations.

3.     We remain deeply concerned by developments in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. Violent attacks and the killing of civilians have taken many Palestinian and Israeli lives during the reporting period. Acts of destruction and provocation are also continuing. We have consistently advocated against all acts of violence, and reiterate our call for complete cessation of violence.

4.    We are also following the developments in Masafer Yatta with concern. Tensions have risen over the potential legal eviction of the Palestinian families. 

5.    All unilateral measures that unduly alter the status-quo on the ground and undercut the viability of the two-state solution must be eschewed. It is extremely important for the international community and this Council to send a strong signal against any step that would prevent the possibility of durable peace between Israel and Palestine.

6.     We appreciate the Israeli initiative of increasing the number of work-permits for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to work in Israel. More needs to be considered to alleviate the humanitarian situation.  The need of the hour is dialogue among the relevant stakeholders.

7.    The continued precarious financial situation of UNRWA remains a matter of concern, as lack of funding to the Agency can adversely affect the delivery of humanitarian services to the Palestinian refugee community in Palestine and elsewhere. At the meeting of the Ad hoc Committee of the General Assembly for the announcement of the voluntary contribution to UNRWA, we have reiterated our commitment to support the Agency through our annual financial contributions. India has already contributed US$ 20 million over the last 4 years and has also pledged US$ 5 million for UNRWA’s program budget for the year 2022. As a member of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission, we also actively participated in its recent meeting in Lebanon.

Mr. President,

8.    India’s financial assistance to UNRWA and our developmental partnership with the Palestine Authority to support its nation-building efforts reflect India’s firm and unwavering commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue.

 9.    India has consistently called for direct peace negotiations between the parties, which, we believe, is the best path towards achieving the goal of a two-state solution. These negotiations must be based on the internationally agreed framework, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for Statehood and Israel’s legitimate security concerns. The absence of these direct talks on key political issues has asymmetrical costs for Israelis and Palestinians and does not augur well for long-term peace in the region.

10.    India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel. India will continue to support all efforts toward achieving a comprehensive and lasting two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stands ready to contribute constructively to such efforts.

I thank you. Source: Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

UNSC briefing and consultations-Syria (political), India Remarks, New York, 29 June 2022.

I join others in thanking Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen for his briefing on the latest developments on the political process in Syria, including the 8th session of Constitutional Committee meetings, which took place in Geneva last month. 

2.    The last meeting of the Small Body of the Constitutional Committee has deliberated on the four proposed constitutional principles, i.e., unilateral coercive measures; state institutions; supremacy of the constitution and transitional justice. While the relevant parties have not reached common ground, we need to examine the reasons for the lack of any major progress in the last two years.

3.    External factors have proved detrimental to overall political process. The engagement so far has not been able to bridge the trust deficit amongst the stakeholders involved. The positive outcome of the last meeting is that all sides have agreed to meet again in the last week of July. We hope that in the next meeting, the three parties will engage constructively and purposefully, with a sense of compromise. We reiterate again that it is for the Syrians to determine and decide what is best for Syria and their own future.

4.     The Special Envoy has been making efforts to engage with all sides and facilitate the political process, in line with the resolution 2254. We believe that his efforts should be supported, particularly his step-by-step approach. The success of this approach will also depend on actual relief to the people of Syria from easing of measures affecting their daily lives. We need to avoid linking humanitarian and developmental assistance with the progress in the overall political process. There is also an urgent need to scale up assistance and to ensure that humanitarian agencies receive the necessary funding to fully execute their plans.

5.    India has been consistent in calling for support to the regional efforts in finding a long-term solution to the conflict. We have welcomed progressive normalization of Syria’s relations with its Arab neighbours. Any acts compromising on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will have negative impact on the political track. In this regard, the recent announcement of military actions is deeply concerning.

6.    On the security front, we remain concerned with the overall situation in Syria. As pointed out in the Secretary General’s 60-day report, violence continued in the Idlib de-escalation area in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic, including through airstrikes, mutual shelling and clashes. There is an urgent need for serious attempts towards comprehensive nationwide ceasefire in Syria. Towards this end, we believe that withdrawal of all foreign forces is essential toward realizing this objective.

7.    India has also been repeatedly reiterating the looming threat posed by resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria. UN designated terrorist groups such as ISIL and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham continue to gain in strength not just in Syria, but in Iraq as well. We reiterate that global fight against terrorism cannot and should not be compromised for narrow political gains. The credibility of the international community’s collective fight against terrorism can be strengthened only by ensuring accountability of terrorists and terrorist groups.

8.    In conclusion, let me reiterate that India is committed to extending developmental assistance and human resource development support to Syria. Our support the people of Syria in their endeavour for seeking lasting peace and stability remains steadfast and unwavering.

I thank you. Source: Permanent Mission of India to the UN.

As part of the policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spellings and date format to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND P R Kumaraswamy