NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar will attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers meet in Riyadh. He will embark on a six day visit to Saudi Arabia, Germany and Switzerland beginning September 8.While in Riyadh, Dr Jaishankar is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers from GCC member countries.The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of trade between India and GCC countries was $184.46 billion during 2022-23.India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, in areas including political, trade and investment, energy cooperation, cultural and people–to–people ties.”The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community, numbering around 8.9 million. The Foreign Ministers meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC across various sectors,’’ according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).Meanwhile, after Riyadh, Dr Jaishankar will travel to Berlin, Germany for a 2–day visit from 10 – 11 September 2024. He is expected to meet the German Federal Foreign Minister, besides other ministers and review bilateral relations between India and Germany.The external affairs minister’s visit to Berlin is set to prepare grounds for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip to India next month.After Germany, Dr Jaishankar will travel to Geneva (12-13 September) where he is expected to meet his Swiss counterpart. Geneva is home to a large number of UN bodies and international organizations. During the visit, EAM will meet with heads and representatives of international organizations with whom India is actively engaged.
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