India is currently busy in helping Muslim countries. From Qatar to Indonesia, India is further strengthening its diplomatic relations. On one side is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on the other is Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. Both the leaders are currently on tour to different countries. PM Modi is on a tour of three countries while Jaishankar is on a tour of six countries. Four of these are Muslim majority countries.
In fact, the Modi-Jaishankar duo has currently become the strongest face of India’s foreign policy. While PM Modi lays the foundation of big vision and strategic agreements, Jaishankar implements them on the ground. Jaishankar is on a visit to Gulf countries like Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. At the same time, Prime Minister Modi is currently in Indonesia. Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. If we talk about the recent times, India has deepened its relations with Gulf and Muslim majority countries.
India has played a tremendous strategic role amid increasing tension in West Asia. To maintain peace in the Middle East, India talked to the heads of state of almost all the Gulf and Muslim countries. India is no longer the India that works under the pressure of any superpower, but India has become a pivot sitting at the center of the world. India is fearlessly protecting its national interests on every front from the Gulf to ASEAN. Even in times of crisis, India knows how to capitalize on its opportunities.
Even amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, India maintained coordination with all the countries. India’s relations with Israel are also strong. As well as from Arab countries like Qatar, Oman and UAE. India’s bilateral relations with these countries are far above any religious agenda. In the year 2018, India and Indonesia had given the status of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to their relations.
After this, this is the first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Modi. This visit will strengthen India’s ‘Act East Policy’. The strategic partnership between the two countries will get a new direction. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the ASEAN region. Both the countries are continuously working together on maritime security, joint military exercises and advancing the defense industry. The focus of both the countries is to strengthen the security cordon against China in the Indo-Pacific region. For this, both the countries are working in that direction.
At the same time, this visit of Foreign Minister Jaishankar to Gulf countries has taken place at a time when the political situation in West Asia is changing rapidly. Jaishankar met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani on Sunday. During this, many areas of mutual cooperation including energy, trade, investment, connectivity and security were discussed between the two leaders. During this, Jaishankar thanked the Prime Minister of Qatar for ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community in Qatar.
After Qatar, Jaishankar will visit Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Qatar and Oman played the role of mediator for the ceasefire between America and Iran. After Khamenei’s funeral, indirect talks between America and Iran will continue in Doha. After visiting four Gulf countries, Jaishankar will visit New York on July 13, where he will launch India’s official campaign for the 2028-29 term on the UN Security Council. After this Jaishankar will go to Belgium where he will hold talks with his counterparts.
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