Press Release No. 62

2 December 2008

Address by Minister of External Affairs Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the inauguration of the Indo-Arab Forum; Partnership for Culture

December 2, 2008,

FICCI Auditorium, New Delhi.

Your Excellency, Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League,

Excellencies, Ministers of Culture

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a matter of great honour for me to address this gathering on such a landmark event in India-Arab relations. Let me first welcome His Excellency Mr. Amre Moussa. I also deeply appreciate that several Arab countries including Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Oman, Morocco, and Egypt are being represented in the India-Arab Forum at Ministerial or Deputy Ministerial-level, though some of them have not been able to be physically present here today with us.

India’s vibrant relations with the Arab world go back many centuries. It would not be an exaggeration to say that our relations are as old as time itself. The Indus Valley Civilization had vibrant links with the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian civilizations. We have ample archeological evidence for this. Archaeologists and historians are confirming the details of this relationship from excavations as well as from ancient manuscripts.
 

Our relationship was so comprehensive that it encompassed every aspect of human life; commercial, intellectual, religious, social and cultural. We always had a regular exchange of visitors between India and the Arab world. Queen Hachepsut of Egypt is said to have despatched a large expedition to India. The famous Saudi Arabia traveller Ibn Batuta travelled extensively in India and wrote interesting accounts in his “Rihla”. The Sufi saint, Abdul Kadir Jeelani travelled to our northern province of Jammu and Kashmir and left his indelible imprint on the culture in the Kashmir valley. Dionysus was sent by Ptolemy Philadelpus to the Mauryan court, and left an account of India. The Mauryan emperors sent ambassadors to the Egyptian Courts. It is said also that the rulers of Syria had good relations with the rulers of India. Antiochus of Syria, maintained direct contacts with India in the 3rd Century B.C.

Even our folk tales are derived from a shared heritage. Tales of the Arabian Nights i.e. Alf Laila wa Laila, are as popular in India as they are in the Arab World. Similarly, Panchatantra tales from India have found a second home in the Arab World and find a presence in the Western world also as the Tales of Aesop.

In ancient times, Indian merchants traversed across the continents through the Arab World to the markets in Greece and Rome on the ancient Silk Road. Peninsular India had very substantial links with the Arabian peninsula from pre-Islamic times. After the advent of Islam, this interaction between these two regions continued seamlessly. The impact of the new religion which took birth in the Hijaz came to be felt in Southern and Western India. Indian pilgrims, over the last 1400 years, bravely crossed the seas to perform Haj every year in their thousands.

Since before independence, India has always stood by its friends in the Arab world in their quest for national independence, sovereignty, peaceful existence and development. India and the countries in the Arab World are living examples of South-South cooperation.

The Gulf region, with which India has traditionally enjoyed close historical links, is an important source of energy for India. At the same time, India has become as important source for providing human resources. As we speak, nearly 5 million Indians live in the Arab world and it is a matter of great satisfaction and pride for us that Indians have contributed significantly to the development of the countries which they rightly consider as their second home. Increasingly, the profile of the Indian community in this region is changing and today almost 20% of Indians are professionals. Bilateral trade between India and the countries in the Arab World has also increased significantly. India and the Arab world face common challenges and strive for similar goals and this underpins our cooperation in international fora.

India has always supported the Palestinian cause. There is much popular support for Palestine among the Indian people. Peace and stability in the region is of paramount importance to us. We are concerned about lack of progress in the peace process. India has constantly supported the quest of the Palestinian people for a homeland in line with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 calling for a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel. We have also called for an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and for an early and significant easing of restrictions on the free movement of persons and goods within Palestine such as we have witnessed in recent times in the Gaza strip.

The Arab peace initiative that we wholeheartedly support was a significant move. We feel that the Annapolis process needs to be taken forward. The end of the year, the target date for a settlement, is already upon us. There does not seem to have been much progress. We, however, remain convinced of the need for continued dialogue.

We remain concerned with the isolation of Gaza and the recent upsurge of violence there. We also remain concerned at the adverse effects of the closure of access points into the Strip on the prevailing humanitarian situation. There can be no justification for the denial of essential supplies including food and fuel to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Like any other people in the world, Palestinian people must also be given the right to live in a safe and dignified manner.

With the Arab League, we have been developing our relations in a structured manner. India and the Arab League signed an MOU institutionalizing the process of dialogue between the two sides in March 2002. Since then, I have met with Secretary General on several occasion at various fora. We have also had four rounds of formal talks in 2002, 2003, 2004 and in 2007. These interactions are extremely useful as these not only provide opportunity to us to revisit our relations but also to constantly review those in light of changing realities at the global and regional levels. Beginning with the Algiers Arab Summit in March 2005, India has been participating as an Observer at the Arab Summits. My colleague, Shri E Ahamed participated in the Summits held in Algiers, Khartoum, Riyadh and most recently in Damascus.

Today we are taking an important step in our relations with the launch of the India-Arab Cooperation Forum. We believe that this Forum will emerge as a mechanism to strengthen and diversify our relations in various fields including, culture, trade, energy and human resources. I am also happy that we have been able to organise a week-long cultural festival to coincide with this important occasion. I am overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response from our friends. The presence of Ministers of Cultures, Deputy Ministers, senior delegates and artistes from so many Arab countries is gratifying. I thank the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry for its role in organising this Forum. I am confident that the brick that we have laid today will be transformed into an edifice which does justice to our close and longstanding relations.

I thank you for giving me this opportunity to address you.

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