“Deep concern over conflict in Gaza”: Jaishankar at 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while addressing the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission meeting alongside FM Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Manama said that the Middle East crisis is cause of deep concern.

Jaishankar on Monday reiterated India’s stance on peace in the region.

“You referred Excellency to issues pertaining to the peace and stability of West Asia/Middle East region. It is a region of deep strategic interest to India and certainly in recent times, it is a region where there is cause for deep concern particularly over the conflict in Gaza. India has a principled position. We condemn acts of terrorism and loss of civilian lives in the conflict. We believe in adherence to international humanitarian law. We have emphasised the importance of safe and timely supply of humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine. And we call for an early ceasefire and release of all hostages. India has consistently supported the resolution of the Palestine issue through a Two-State solution. We have also contributed to the building of Palestinian institutions and capacities. And we certainly appreciate that Gulf countries are also working in the same direction,” he said.

“Our continued meetings and the high level interactions that have taken place between our two countries testify the strong bonds of friendship between us, not just bonds of friendship but those which have been forged over time very deeply between our societies. I think the task for us is today to build on those bonds driven by a common commitment to peace, to security, and to the pursuit of development and prosperity of our peoples and of the region. We see great potential in many new areas like space, education, FinTech, S&T. And I would like to take the opportunity to publicly affirm the priority that we attach to developing our cooperation with Bahrain,” he said.

Jaishankar added that India and Bahrain have made progress in trade.

“We have made significant progress in recent years in trade and in investment. We certainly would like to develop that positive momentum. And I want to say that India welcomes investors from Bahrain to come and explore opportunities in India,” he said.

Jaishankar also highlighted the areas of maritime cooperation between India and Bahrain.

“We also cooperate closely on defence and security matters. India’s joining of the CMF (Combined Maritime Forces), which is headquartered in Manama will certainly be beneficial to strengthening regional maritime security. We affirm our very firm commitment to the safety and security of international maritime activities. For us, Bahrain is a particularly valuable partner in the Gulf region, and we very much appreciate your support for India in regional and multilateral forums. We look forward to working with you in that regard,” he said.

Jaishankar said that Indian diaspora in Bahrain is an important bridge between the two countries.

“I would also take the opportunity to emphasise the appreciation for the manner in which the Indian community in Bahrain is looked after. It is a very important bridge between our countries. And we believe that they are contributing significantly to the development of Bahrain. And we certainly hope that we will see the community make a bigger contribution and we would thank the leadership and the Government of the Kingdom for ensuring their welfare, safety and security,” he said.

Jaishankar also congratulated Bahrain’s king on completing 25 years of his ascension to the throne.

“Let me express on behalf of the people of India our best wishes on completion of 25 years of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne. Under His Majesty’s leadership India-Bahrain relations have really moved from strength to strength,” he said.