UN, Arab League Must Take Concerted Efforts To Support Reactivation Of Middle East Peace Process: India

India said on Wednesday that the United Nations and the League of Arab States must take concerted efforts to support reactivation of the Middle East Peace Process in line with the two-State solution, as it stressed that New Delhi will continue to work with the League in combating terrorism and in promoting tolerance and pluralism. Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on 'Cooperation between UN and regional organisations (League of Arab States)', Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also said that India welcomes the agreements for normalisation of ties between countries in the region, which will contribute to greater peace and stability in the region.

"The cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States is of critical importance when it comes to the Middle East Peace Process. Both organisations must take concerted efforts to support the reactivation of the Middle East Peace Process in line with the two-State solution, based on the internationally agreed framework and previous agreements between the parties," he said. He called for greater policy synergy between the two organisations, underlining that regular and frequent consultations with the League of Arab States and its members on peace initiatives in the region would contribute towards achieving common solutions and meaningful outcomes. He reiterated India's steadfast support for a closer, meaningful and sustained cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States for the benefit of the region. "India will continue to partner with the Arab countries in their efforts to achieve regional peace, stability and prosperity and will continue to work with the League of Arab States in combating terrorism and in promoting tolerance and pluralism," he said. He further said that engagement with the League and its members in post-conflict peace building through reconstruction and economic development is equally important. "Ensuring the stability of the countries concerned and the region, and the welfare of the people, especially women and minorities, should be at the forefront of all such efforts,” Shringla said. He added that efforts must be made to achieve comprehensive coordination at the field level, especially through regular coordination between UN’s Special Envoys and Special Representatives and the League of Arab States.

Shringla underscored that given its strategic location, developments in the Arab world have influenced the world’s shared history and they continue to have a profound impact globally. "The challenges confronted by the region today and how we address them will have a critical bearing on international peace and security." He said India and the Arab world share a civilizational relationship, underpinned by "our strong people-to-people relations and commercial and cultural ties." "Today, countries from the Arab world are host to more than 9 million Indians and India’s wide-ranging partnership with these countries encompasses every aspect of human endeavour– from agriculture, trade, commerce and education to clean energy, counter- terrorism and new technologies," he said.

Shringla told the Council that India and the League of Arab States signed an MOU two decades ago for institutionalizing a regular dialogue process to forge a partnership for the future. This led to creation of the India-League of Arab States Forum, during which progressive co-operation in several fields like energy, environmental protection, investment, food security, science and technology and human resource development were agreed upon. India underlined that the League of Arab States can further contribute in "our joint endeavour for peace, for the sake of the people of the region, in general, and women and minorities, in particular."

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