New Delhi, January 30 (MNN):External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Friday met Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit in New Delhi and discussed strengthening cooperation between the two sides across various sectors.

Following the meeting, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter),
“Had a warm meeting this morning with Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Held wide-ranging discussions on our cooperation across different domains and ways to further strengthen it. Also exchanged views on recent regional developments.”

Ahmed Aboul Gheit arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the second India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related engagements.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X,
“Delighted to welcome Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, H.E. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who has arrived in New Delhi for the second India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings. High-level engagements over the next two days reflect the shared commitment to a strong India–Arab partnership across all sectors.”

India will host the second India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on January 31. The meeting, jointly hosted by India and the United Arab Emirates, will be attended by the foreign ministers of Arab League member states and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.

The second India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is expected to further expand existing cooperation and partnership. It will be preceded by the fourth India–Arab Senior Officials’ Meeting (IAFMM).

Notably, the foreign ministers’ meeting is being held after a gap of nearly ten years, as the first meeting took place in Bahrain in 2016. During the first meeting, leaders identified five priority areas of cooperation—economy, energy, education, media, and culture—and proposed a set of activities in these sectors.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is the apex institutional mechanism driving this partnership. It was formally established in March 2002, when India and the League of Arab States signed a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalize the dialogue process.