S Jaishankar briefed MPs on India's West Asia policy, with discussions covering regional conflict, energy security, the safety of Indians in the Gulf and the Makkah defence pact.
Jaishankar said India was maintaining close ties with Gulf and West Asian countries while working to protect around 10 million Indians in the region and secure energy and fertiliser supplies.
The Makkah pact, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, was among the issues raised by MPs as India assesses the security implications of changing regional alignments.
Jaishankar Faces Questions On India’s West Asia Policy, Mecca Defence Pact
Jaishankar briefed MPs on India's West Asia policy amid regional conflict, with energy security, the safety of Indians in the Gulf and the Makkah defence pact among the issues discussed
Summary
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on India's relations with West Asia and told MPs that the country is advancing its trade and connectivity amidst the ongoing conflict in the region.
"Highlighted India's close ties with the Gulf and WANA region, including our longstanding partnerships and cooperation in trade, investments, energy, maritime and people to people domains,” he said.
Why Did MPs Question India’s West Asia Policy?
Several MPs raised the issue of the West Asia war and India's energy requirements, with the minister saying New Delhi is diversifying its energy supply chain even while the crisis is on, as per PTI.
"Also underscored our efforts towards welfare of 10 million Indians, as well as ensuring energy and fertiliser security, and advancing our trade and connectivity amidst the ongoing conflict in the region," Jaishankar said in a post on X, while sharing pictures of the Consultative Committee meeting with the MPs.
Jaishankar told the meeting that India is the only country that has good ties with both the United States and Iran, the sources said, adding that he talked about securing the safety of 10 million (one crore) Indians in the Gulf region.
What Did Jaishankar Say About The Mecca Defence Pact And Israel?
Jaishankar also discussed the issue of US sanctions on buying energy and other products from Iran after the conflict, and said India has strengthened its political ties in the region.
Some MPs also expressed concern over the Makkah pact and asked about India's position on it.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", under which an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against all of them. The move came amid increasing security concerns in the wake of escalating tensions in West Asia.
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For India, its significance lies less in the improbable prospect of Saudi forces joining a future India-Pakistan war than in the political protection, military technology and strategic leverage the agreement could confer on Islamabad.
The agreement was signed by the prime minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, the president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif. Its central undertaking is clear: an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three, according to their joint statement.
The formulation invited comparisons with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), but the full legal text has not been published. Questions remain about what constitutes aggression, whether attacks by non-state groups are covered and how far the commitment extends beyond West Asia.
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