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‘Facilitate return of Indian workers, professionals’: Jaishankar tells Gulf states
The external affairs minister raised the issue during India’s annual political dialogue with the GCC troika, which was held virtually.
India on Tuesday asked the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to facilitate the return of a large number of Indian workers and professionals who want to resume work amid the easing of Covid-19-related restrictions.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar raised the issue during India’s annual political dialogue with the GCC troika, which was held virtually. Leaders from the two sides carried out a detailed review of ties and expressed satisfaction that India and the six GCC states had continued their close cooperation during the pandemic.
Jaishankar “mentioned that a large number of Indian workers and professionals are now eager to return to the GCC countries to resume their work”, and “urged the GCC leadership to facilitate their return through sustainable travel bubble arrangements with India,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
More than eight million Indians live and work in West Asia, a majority of them within the region covered by the GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Saudi Arabia has an Indian expatriate population of about 2.6 million, while UAE is home to some 3.4 million Indians.
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Thousands of Indians had travelled back from these countries in the initial stages of the pandemic, some to visit their families and others following job losses.
The GCC states are also among India’s key suppliers of energy, and annual remittances from Indians in these countries are worth an estimated $4.8 billion.
Jaishankar also thanked the GCC states for taking care of the large Indian diaspora during the pandemic, and noted that India had taken “special care to ensure the return of Indian health professionals to GCC countries and for the supply of medicines and other essential items”.
The GCC was represented at dialogue by GCC secretary-general Nayef Falah M Al-Hajraf, Bahrain’s foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash. Senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar also joined the meeting.
Jaishankar informed the GCC leaders of the improving Covid-19-related situation in India, both in terms of healthcare and the economy, and hoped for the early return of normalcy in trade with the GCC. India had ensured that supply chains from New Delhi to the Gulf were not disrupted despite lockdowns during the pandemic, he said.
He also informed the GCC leaders about India’s progress in Covid-19 vaccine development and in developing and manufacturing diagnostic and other equipment related to Covid-19. “Both sides reaffirmed that they will continue to work together to tackle the Covid-19 situation,” the statement said.
The leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They agreed to strengthen the India-GCC partnership in political, economic and other domains.
The GCC states welcomed India’s inclusion as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council for 2021-22, and both sides agreed to work together to reform multilateral institutions to reflect the realities of the 21st century and to address challenges such as the pandemic, climate change, sustainable development and terrorism.
