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Gaza conflict widely shared priority, in focus of international community: Jaishankar
India is hosting the India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting this year, which is being attended by foreign ministers of several countries.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the conflict in Gaza is a widely shared priority and has been in the focus of the international community.
Jaishankar made the statement in his opening remarks at the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi.
"Many of us were present at the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in October 2025. This evolved into the United Nations Security Council Resolution of November 2025. Taking forward the plan to end the Gaza conflict is a widely shared priority today. Various countries have made policy declarations on the peace plan, individually or collectively," he said, according to PTI.
India is hosting the India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting this year, which is being attended by foreign ministers of several countries.
The foreign affairs minister also cited the conflicts in Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria, and their implications for the region and beyond.
"Contemplating this multitude of challenges, our shared interest warrants strengthening forces of stability, of peace and prosperity," the External Affairs minister was quoted as saying.
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He also talked about the situation in West Asia, focusing on efforts to rebuild the conflict-torn Gaza. Jaishankar pointed out that the meeting comes at a time when the global order is undergoing a transformation.
"Nowhere is it more apparent than in West Asia or the Middle East, where the landscape itself has undergone a dramatic change in the last year," the external affairs minister said.
Underlining the implications of this transformation, Jaishankar said that this will impact India's relationship with the Arab world as well.
Jaishankar said the Gaza situation in particular has been the focus of the international community.
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He recalled the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in October 2025 that turned into the United Nations Security Council Resolution of November 2025, and said that the plan to end conflict in Gaza is “a widely shared priority.”
"Various countries have made policy declarations on the peace plan, individually or collectively," he said.
Jaishankar said there are a number of other situations in the region that "merit our collective attention". He gave the example of conflict in Sudan, which he said was "exacting a deadly toll on its society".
Further, he also gave reference of Yemen, which according to him, has additional implications for the safety of maritime navigation. Then there is concern about Lebanon, where India has troops committed as part of the UN peacekeeping efforts, he said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has formed a “Board of Peace” and invited multiple countries to join it. The board is an international organisation that seeks to promote stability and restore peace in Gaza. India is yet to take a call on joining the “Board of Peace” for Gaza. India’s position continues to be in support of a two-state solution and backing for all initiatives aimed at achieving a lasting peace in the region.
