India and the Arab world share civilisational relationship: India at UNSC

New York, Mar 24: Speaking at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States (LAS), Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said India and the Arab world share a “civilisational relationship”, as he welcomed the normalisation of relations between countries in the region and reiterated India’s support for a two–state (i.e., Palestine and Israel) solution.

 

 

 

Officials said the Foreign Secretary’s visit to the United Nations to attend the meeting was an indicator of the close relations India shares with the United Arab Emirates, given that the session about the U.N. cooperation with the League of Arab Nations is a “signature event” of the UAE ‘s presidency this month at the Security Council.

 

 

 

However, Mr. Shringla’s visit to New York amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine has fuelled speculation that he would also take part in the discussions at the United Nations about the way forward in the crisis. At the UNSC meeting on the LAS, Mr. Shringla called for greater policy alignment between the U.N. and the LAS, fostered by regular and frequent consultations. He also suggested comprehensive coordination at the field level and emphasised post–conflict peacebuilding via reconstruction and economic development. Mr. Shringla suggested that all efforts ensure regional stability with a special focus on the welfare of women and minorities.

 

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“Both organisations must make concerted efforts to support the reactivation of the Middle East [West Asia] peace process in line with a two–state solution based on the internationally agreed framework and previous agreements between the parties,” Mr. Shringla said. “India welcomes the agreement for normalisation of relations between countries in the region, which we believe will contribute to greater peace and stability in the region.” The UAE, along with several other Arab countries, began normalising its relations with Israel, particularly with the signing of the Abraham Accords — a trilateral agreement among the U.S., the UAE and Israel, signed in 2020, during the administration of (former) U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

 

 

Even as the UNSC meeting was under way on Wednesday, a parallel session of the UNGA (a resumption of the Emergency Special Session from earlier in March) began. Ukraine introduced a draft resolution, proposed by France and Mexico, “Human Consequences of the Aggression Against Ukraine”, which holds Russia responsible for the crisis in Ukraine. Another draft UNGA resolution, sponsored by South Africa, a BRICS member–country, calls for “an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties in the conflict”, without naming Russia.