New Delhi, Mar 21 (Representative) India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held the first round of Senior Officers Meeting today in Riyadh today during which both sides agreed on early finalisation of the India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The Indian delegation was led by Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV&OIA) while the GCC delegation was led by Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Hamad Al-Owaishaq, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations, GCC. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh in a tweet said: “Secretary (CPV &OIA), Dr Ausaf Sayeed @drausaf led the Indian delegation to the first India-GCC Senior Officer Meeting held at the Secretariate of @GCCSG at Riyadh.” The meeting had participation from all the six member countries of GCC. The India-GCC SOM meeting was held pursuant to MOU signed on India-GCC Mechanism of Consultation during the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Riyadh in September 2022. Both sides conveyed happiness over the progress in trade and investment between India-GCC countries. Both sides agreed for an early finalisation of India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an official statement said. Secretary (CPV&OIA) invited for more collaboration between India and GCC countries in renewable energy, food security, health, IT sector and counter terrorism. Both sides proposed formation of Joint Working Groups to cater to particular areas of cooperation between India and GCC countries.
These joint working groups would be headed by experts and would ensure regular and continuous progress across priority sectors, it said. Both sides appreciated the progress in relations between India-GCC countries built on historical ties, coupled with growing trade and investment, and presence of approximately 8.5 million Indian diaspora in the region. GCC as a trade bloc is the largest trade partner to India with a total trade of USD 154 Billion in FY 2021-22 They agreed that people to people ties need to be further enhanced. The discussion also focused upon regional issues of importance.Both sides looked forward for early convention of India-GCC TROIKA meeting at the Foreign Minister level, it said.Separately, Dr Sayeed also held a meeting with Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh, A GCC readout said that Dr Ausaf Sayeed congratulated Jassem Albudaiwi on assuming his duties as Secretary General of the Cooperation Council, wishing him further success.
During the meeting, “the Secretary General stressed the importance of strengthening Gulf-Indian relations in a way that contributes to serving common interests, and the need for continuous endeavours to strengthen cooperation relations from both sides to achieve further coordination to face challenges and seize opportunities in all fields, in light of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the General Secretariat of the GCC and the Republic of India in September 2022, and the framework agreement signed between the Cooperation Council and India in August 2004, and the desire of the two sides to enhance the strategic political and security dialogue, as well as economic and cultural cooperation and communication between the peoples.” “The meeting was also attended by Dr Abdulaziz Hamad Aluwaisheg, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiation at the General Secretariat of the GCC.” Dr Ausaf Sayeed also held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Waleed Al-Khuraiji, during which the two sides reviewed bilateral relations, enhanced areas of cooperation, and issues of common interest, a tweet from the Saudi Minister’s office said. The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.