The India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Troika Ministerial Meeting was held today on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, led the Indian delegation.
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are GCC member nations.
The leaders reaffirmed their joint commitment to building on the achievements of the first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue held on September 09, 2024 in Riyadh.
EAM highlighted that India and GCC countries share historically close and friendly ties, underpinned by vibrant trade linkages and strong people-to-people ties.
In recent years, the relationship between India and GCC countries has deepened in various spheres including trade, investment, energy, health, technology and cultural exchanges. A large Indian diaspora resides in the GCC region. Trade & Investment between India and GCC continues to grow with total trade of USD 178.66 billion in FY 2025-26.
The leaders reviewed the implementation of the India-GCC Joint Action Plan (JAP) 2024-2028, which was adopted at the first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue.
The JAP envisages joint activities in areas such as political dialogue, security, trade & investment, agriculture & food security, transportation, energy, health, culture, and education. They underlined that the diversity of sectors in the JAP represented the depth and breadth of engagements between India and GCC countries, and appreciated the steady progress in advancing cooperation in these sectors.
At the UN High-Level Meeting, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava says, "India reaffirms its commitment to strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response through international cooperation. The lessons we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic must translate into sustained investment and institutional preparedness.
India has adopted a whole-of-government, whole-of-society, and all-hazards approach, strengthening surveillance, laboratory networks, emergency coordination, workforce, stockpiles, and clinical care capacity. Preparedness must be embedded in national health systems, development plans, and domestic financing. International support should complement national responsibility.
"India reaffirms General Assembly Resolution 78/3 and supports a member state-led review of its implementation coordinated with other PPPR processes."
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