JEDDAH, 27 March 2007 — Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed will represent India at the two-day Arab summit that begins in Riyadh tomorrow.
This is the third time Ahamed will be representing India at the Arab summit since New Delhi was first granted an observer status in 2005 by the 22-member Arab League. The minister represented India at the Arab summits in Algiers in 2005 and Khartoum in 2006.
Ahamed is expected to arrive today in the Saudi capital at the head of a three-member delegation that includes the Indian representative to Ramallah Zikrur Rahman.
Talking to Arab News from New Delhi, Ahamed said: “The people and the government of India attach great importance to the diversification and strengthening of traditional relations with the Arab people.”
India’s participation at the Riyadh summit assumes significance in the light of the recent developments in Palestine where a new national unity government has been formed.
“India’s traditional support to the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people is well known,” said Ahamed. “In a global world where new opportunities in the trade and investment sectors are available, closer economic cooperation between India and the Arab League augurs well for us.”
India’s relations with the Arab world have grown tremendously since the current government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assumed office. Ahamed, who represents the Indian Union Muslim League in the ruling coalition, is himself an ardent promoter of the Palestinian cause.
Ever since he became a minister in the current government, Ahamed has worked meticulously on improving ties with the Arab world and was successful in undoing some of the damage caused by the previous government to country’s traditional relationship with the Arabs.
Israel, however, still remains India’s second largest arms provider after Russia.
