The following is the text of the address by Shri Rajiv Sikri, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, at the seminar organized by Arab League Mission on the occasion of 60th Anniversary of establishment of the League of Arab States, India International Centre, New Delhi
“It is a great pleasure and an honour for me to be here for this event to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Arab League. On this occasion, I offer the good wishes of the government and people of India to the League of Arab States, to all the Arab states and to the friendly, fraternal Arab people.
Since the establishment of the League of Arab States just as the Second World War was coming to an end, the world has changed – in fact, greatly changed. So has the Arab League. It has grown, as was just pointed out, from 7 to 22 members, and I understand the ongoing Summit in Algiers is considering ways on how to adapt the Arab League’s functioning to contemporary circumstances. Today, the challenges before all the countries of the world are quite different, certainly much more complex. Our Arab friends can also note with satisfaction that the presence and influence of the Arab world on the affairs of the world as a whole have greatly increased. However, one thing has not changed. That is the need to facilitate multi-faceted intra-Arab ties, and to strengthen Arab unity to promote Arab causes, which was, I believe, the principal rationale behind the setting up of the Arab League.
Another thing that has not changed is the close links of friendship, respect and cooperation between India and the Arab world. The Arab world is indeed very special for India. Our ties go back deep into history, spanning many centuries. Trade, culture, religion, language, philosophy and science and technology – all these have bound the people of India and the Arab world. It is a matter of pride - and reassurance - that ours has been a peaceful interaction. This resulted in the confluence of ideas, of art, of literature, and much else. The Arab world has left an indelible imprint on our history, on our culture and on our civilization.
Above all, it has given to the world and to India the great religion of Islam, which has greatly enriched India’s composite culture and civilization.
India’s ties with the Arab world languished during the era of colonialism. But we fought together the battles against colonialism and imperialism. India supported the Arab world on the issues that mattered to them. India has a long history of extending consistent and unwavering support to Arab causes. Our approach on issues affecting the Arab world is based on principle, not expediency – whether it related to the partition of Palestine, the Suez crisis or the Algerian independence movement. It is fitting to recall in this 50th anniversary year of the historic Bandung Conference that friendship and cooperation between India and the Arab world constitutes a shining embodiment of the spirit of South-South cooperation that is much talked-about, and has become even more urgent and relevant, today.
The Arab world has always figured very high in India’s foreign policy priorities. After all, we are neighbours - united, rather than divided, by the Arabian Sea. In modern times, our traditional bonds have further strengthened and diversified, as our multifaceted ties have steadily and rapidly developed. In recent decades, the Arab world has become an important source of our energy, a growing market for our goods, an important destination for our investments, and a region that provides livelihood to millions of Indians living and working in the region. Thus it is only natural that India considers the Arab world very much a part of its strategic neighbourhood.
Perhaps with no other region of the world has India had such extensive high-level and other exchanges and dialogue as with the Arab world during the last 10 months since the new Government assumed office. The UPA Government’s policy is clearly articulated in the Common Minimum Programme and in the President’s Address to Parliament in June last year. Some of you no doubt heard the Prime Minister articulate India’s policy towards this region in great detail at the Jamia Millia Islamia a few weeks ago. The Arab world is the only area for which the Government has, since then, appointed a Special Envoy. Ambassador Gharekhan is a highly respected and seasoned diplomat with considerable experience and understanding of the Arab world. I am sure he will make a worthy contribution to strengthening cooperation and understanding between India and the Arab world. He would have been here with you today, except that he is in Algiers, as a member of the high-level Indian delegation, led by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. E. Ahamed, for the 17th Arab League Summit that is taking place there. (I understand that the Minister was given the opportunity to address the League of Arab States Summit yesterday and also had many useful bilateral and other meetings on the margins of the Summit.) Indeed, India’s participation in the Summit flows naturally out of the very productive and wide-ranging consultations within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding of 2002 between India and the Arab League, and takes forward our interaction to a qualitatively higher level.
What does the future hold for India’s relations with the Arab world? I believe we have to proceed from the assumption that our destinies are considerably intertwined. Both sides have a legitimate stake in the peace, prosperity and stability of our respective regions. We must create long-term partnerships that are mutually beneficial. The question is: Can we recognize and seize the opportunities for partnership that come our way? India has invested considerable human, and some capital, resources in the Arab world. We believe that this has helped Arab countries in their development. We could do more, much more. We would be happy to share our advantages and strengths in IT, education, health and other sectors. Indians have shared in the growing prosperity of the Arab countries. Concomitantly, as India develops – and the trends in this regard are very reassuring, even if I say so – we invite the Arab world to be active partners and participants in our prosperity and growth. The Arab world has the capital, while India has the opportunities, especially for the development of infrastructure. Ultimately, as our Prime Minister has often said, investment is an act of faith. The more the long-term linkages that India and the Arab world develop, the greater our mutual stake and interest in each other’s success and prosperity.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the League of Arab States Mission in New Delhi, and especially Ambassador Dhabiya Khamis Al-Mehairi, for the kind invitation to today’s function. I would like to commend Ambassador Dhabiya for organizing this event, that marks an important step in not only celebrating 60 years of the Arab League’s existence, but also provides an opportunity to reiterate India’s traditionally close, friendly and fraternal ties with the Arab world, and to give new momentum to India-Arab mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields. “
AK/SK/JA
(Release ID :8188)