Jaishankar convenes consultative panel in Delhi to review India's West Asia ties External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired a Consultative Committee meeting in New Delhi on India's ties with West Asia, covering trade, investment, energy and maritime cooperation. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired a Consultative Committee meeting in New Delhi today on India's relations with West Asia. He shared the update himself on the social media platform X, posting from his handle @DrSJaishankar. What the meeting focused on During the meeting, Jaishankar highlighted India's close ties with the Gulf and the WANA, or West Asia North Africa, region. He pointed to the country's longstanding partnerships with these nations, which span trade, investments, energy, maritime cooperation and people-to-people links. Committee members discussed how these areas of cooperation could be taken forward. The role of consultative committees Parliamentary consultative committees are typically formed to bring lawmakers' views into a ministry's policies and functioning. Several such meetings across ministries have taken place in recent months. Jaishankar himself has previously chaired a similar consultative committee meeting on India-Africa relations, where trade and defence cooperation were discussed. Other ministers have chaired comparable committee meetings on subjects ranging from national security and telecom to human-wildlife conflict mitigation and technology. Together, these meetings point to a wider effort by the government to involve members of Parliament across different policy areas. India has also been steadily expanding its diplomatic and trade presence in regions such as the Gulf and Africa in recent times, and today's meeting on West Asia is being seen as part of that same outreach. Why India's ties with West Asia matter Gulf countries remain critical for India on energy supply, employment for Indian expatriates and trade. Millions of Indian citizens work in these countries and send back significant remittances every year. That is why any major meeting focused on trade, investment and energy cooperation with the region draws attention. Public reaction Reactions to the post were mixed. Several users praised the effort to strengthen ties and connectivity with West Asia, while some suggested greater focus on energy and food security issues. A few others used the post to raise unrelated domestic political concerns. What this means for you The review of India's ties with West Asia has a direct bearing on the millions of Indians who work in Gulf countries or are involved in trade linked to the region. • Indian expatriates: A large number of Indian workers live in the Gulf and WANA region. Stronger ties make it easier to raise issues around visas, jobs and safety. • Energy prices: India depends heavily on Gulf countries for its oil needs. Continued energy cooperation is expected to help keep supplies of things like petrol and diesel stable. • Trade and investment: The emphasis on trade and investment could mean more opportunities ahead for businesses and investors linked to the Gulf. • Maritime security: Talks on maritime cooperation affect the shipping and trade routes through which a large share of India's imports and exports pass. Questions & Answers 1. Who chaired this meeting? External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired the Consultative Committee meeting. 2. When and where was the meeting held? It was held today in New Delhi. 3. What was the meeting mainly about? It focused on India's relations with West Asia, covering the Gulf and WANA region. 4. Which areas of cooperation were discussed? Trade, investments, energy, maritime cooperation and people-to-people ties were discussed. 5. How did this information come out? Jaishankar shared it himself in a post on the social media platform X. 6. How did people react? Reactions were mixed, with some praising the initiative and others suggesting more focus on issues like energy security. Leader Profile: S. Jaishankar • Role: Minister of External Affairs • Born: 9 January 1955, New Delhi • Party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) • Education: PhD in International Relations, JNU India's External Affairs Minister since 2019 and a career diplomat. He was Foreign Secretary (2015–18) and ambassador to China and the United States. Political Career & Achievements • Ambassador to China (2009–2013) • Ambassador to the United States (2013–2015) • Foreign Secretary of India (2015–2018) • Minister of External Affairs (since 2019) • Helped negotiate the India–US civil nuclear deal Quick Facts • First former Foreign Secretary to become India’s External Affairs Minister. • Was India’s longest-serving ambassador to China. https://trendkia.com/en/neta-ji/new-delhi-men-esa-jayashnkara-ne-pashchima-eshiya-se-rishton-para-paramarshadatri-samiti-ki-baithaka-bulai-29056 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.