Manama hosts India Arab league ministerial meeting

1/24/2016 3:07:38 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

Manama: The first India-Arab League ministerial meeting opens Sunday in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here Saturday to attend the first ministerial meeting of India-Arab League Co-operation Forum.

King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa hailed strong Bahraini-Indian relations during his meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister.

He stressed Bahrain's keenness on expanding co-operation with India commending its international standing and pivotal role a Bahrain News Agency report said.

Bahrain's King hailed his historic and successful visit to India which contributed to strengthening bilateral relations and expanding political economic trade and investment co-operation.

The Indian government is looking increasingly at the 22-member group of Arabic speaking nations home to some of the world's largest sovereign funds to fund its infrastructure drive Indian media said Sunday.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (Foreign Ministry) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said "We hope to deepen our relations with a region which is pivotal for our interests because of a range of issues including diaspora and energy security With this first ever ministerial meeting."

During her two-day visit Swaraj will also hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of a number of Arab League countries.

She is also expected to take up with the Arab League the issue of the 39 Indians who remain in captivity in Iraq. According to officials here their release remains one of India's foremost priorities in the region.

India signed with Arab League a Memorandum of Cooperation and an Executive Programme in December 2013 covering the fields of political consultations trade and investments media and culture.

Speaking to Indian media Swarup said the meeting will see the two sides renew the Executive Programme for 2016-2017.

The Arab League region accounts for more than half of India's oil and gas supplies and is being seen increasingly as a potential partner for some of the Indian Government's initiatives like smart cities and digital India according to Indian media reports.

QNA

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