Diplomats say the timing of the India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting (IAFMM) is significant given that it comes just after President Donald Trump’s announcement of the Board of Peace (BOP), which will govern affairs in Gaza, and in the shadow of a possible attack by the US president on Iran. | X @narendramodi
New Delhi: Diplomats say the timing of the India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting (IAFMM) is significant given that it comes just after President Donald Trump’s announcement of the Board of Peace (BOP), which will govern affairs in Gaza, and in the shadow of a possible attack by the US president on Iran. Senior diplomats say New Delhi’s meeting of foreign ministers representing 22 Arab nations is meaningless in practical terms because of India’s excellent bilateral relations with them all. However, the meeting conveys several points that New Delhi would like to make to the world, the foremost pertaining to the Board of Peace (BoP).
Joining the BoP
Senior diplomats believe that while New Delhi would like to join the BoP to remain a credible player in the region, it does not wish to be seen as doing so at the behest of the US. It was here that the Arab nations could present a facesaving alternative. By formally inviting India to join the body, New Delhi would be seen as a credible alternative voice respected by the Global South. This endeavor seems to have succeeded.
“The call by the Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian which was then echoed by the Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit for India to join the BoP was a very satisfying outcome for us,” said West Asia expert Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad. “There is also precedent for this. In 1992, we consulted Yasser Arafat on our recognition of Israel, and he gave the go-ahead. In this same way today, we are being seen as someone being invited by the Arabs to join the peace process. This raises our stature and shows the world we are a credible player in the region.”
Palestine Signal
“We are conveying our solidarity at a time of great crisis with the Arab world and with the Palestine question. We have signalled our support for Palestinian aspirations,” said Ahmad. He added that this was an important message to send now with the BoP being constituted. “We may or may not like the BoP, but it is the only peace process going on in the region, and India needs to be on board.”
The meeting also provided important takeaways for India. Diplomats say that it was important for New Delhi, which has been pressurised by the US in recent times. The imposition of tariffs to end India’s buying of Russian oil and the ending of the sanctions waiver on the Chabahar port in Iran had raised perceptions that India was surrendering strategic autonomy. A meet like this showed that this was not the case and that India was not without friends. The other reason for this meeting was an ongoing outreach with the Arab world. India first carried this out with the India-GCC meeting in September 2024—the first meeting by both sides at the foreign ministerial level.
Pakistan Factor
Diplomats believe that such meetings have been important to signal that India has not moved towards Israel and that it remains committed to the Palestinian cause. The other reason for such a meeting is to contain Pakistan’s influence in the region. Diplomats say that while the recent signing of a security pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey does not threaten India’s security given that it is highly unlikely either Riyadh or Istanbul would come to Pakistan’s aid in a conflict, it does signal a growing acceptance of Pakistan in the region. That was something India could not allow to go unchallenged, especially given the growing bonds between Pakistan and the US.
The outcomes of the meet are less clear. Negotiations for an India-GCC FTA have been on since the early 2000s with no result. In the meantime, India has signed FTAs with the UAE and Oman. India’s strong bilateral relations with Gulf nations have secured its energy interests, thus ensuring that there is no need for a regional body. The biggest reason is the lack of unity on the Arab side. Divided on Yemen, Sudan, even Palestine, among other issues concerning the region, a pan-Arab body can achieve very little.
