New Delhi: Emphasizing the urgent need for a unified global response to terrorism, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Saturday underscored that zero-tolerance for terrorism must be upheld as an uncompromising international norm, while asserting that societies targeted by terrorism possess the right to defend themselves, according to multiple media reports.
Speaking at the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAFMM) in New Delhi co-chaired by India and the UAE after a decade-long gap Jaishankar highlighted that terrorism in all its forms continues to threaten both regions. "Cross-border terrorism is particularly unacceptable as it undermines the core principles of international relations. Societies under attack have the legitimate right to defend themselves, and this must be recognized globally," he said, as reported by several news outlets.
The meeting brings together Foreign Ministers, Ministers of State, senior officials from all 22 Arab League member states, and the Arab League Secretary General, marking the first time India hosts the summit. According to media reports, the gathering serves as the highest institutional mechanism to strengthen India-Arab cooperation, formalized in 2002 through a Memorandum of Understanding between India and the League of Arab States.
Jaishankar noted that the summit occurs at a critical juncture as global politics, economics, technology, and demography undergo rapid transformations. "The landscape of West Asia has seen dramatic shifts over the past year, with repercussions felt well beyond the region, directly impacting India and its ties with Arab nations," he said, referencing recent regional crises including the Gaza conflict, which led to UN Security Council Resolution 2803 in November 2025, as well as situations in Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria, according to media sources.
Drawing attention to India’s strategic interests, Jaishankar highlighted the deep historical and contemporary linkages between India and the Arab world. These include long-standing trade, shared diaspora communities, energy security, emerging technology partnerships, food and health security, and growing collaboration in areas like digital technology, space, and innovation, as reported by multiple news agencies. "India has strong partnerships with all LAS nations, many maturing to a strategic level. Today's deliberations, while collective, will also energize bilateral ties," he said, according to media sources.
The EAM also outlined the India-Arab Cooperation Forum’s agenda for 2026–28, which spans energy, environment, agriculture, tourism, education, human resource development, culture, start-ups, and innovation. He emphasized the forum’s evolving role in counter-terrorism efforts and parliamentary exchanges, noting that the India-Arab Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, launched recently, will complement these initiatives, according to media reports.
According to multiple media sources, Jaishankar’s remarks reflect India’s approach of strengthening multilateral engagement while safeguarding national and regional security interests, aiming to bolster the India-Arab strategic partnership amid a complex geopolitical environment.