Sripriya Ranganathan, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) at India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on Tuesday, 18 August reiterated India's longstanding support for a negotiated two-State solution during a meeting with Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine. The meeting, held as part of Ranganathan's multi-country official tour, also covered the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the full range of India-Palestine bilateral ties.

Key Developments from the Palestine Meeting

The Representative Office of India to Palestine confirmed that the two sides reviewed the complete spectrum of India-Palestine bilateral relations, including their extensive development cooperation initiatives. India underscored the importance of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through sustained assistance and continued dialogue. The engagement signals New Delhi's intent to keep diplomatic channels active even as the conflict in Gaza continues to draw international attention.

India-Arab League Partnership Reaffirmed

A day earlier, on Monday, 17 August, Ranganathan met Ambassador Khalid Manzalawi, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, in Egypt. Discussions centred on advancing the Executive Programme 2026–28, which was adopted at the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the India-Arab partnership, with a focus on new and emerging areas of cooperation.

BRICS 2026 Chairship in Focus at Cairo Conference

On Sunday, 16 August, Ranganathan addressed the inaugural session of the India-Egypt BRICS Partnership Conference at the Diplomatic Club in Cairo, organised by the Indian Embassy in Egypt in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). She outlined the priorities of India's BRICS 2026 Chairship and highlighted how the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership provides a strong foundation for closer cooperation within BRICS and for advancing the priorities of the Global South.

Scope and Context of the Official Visit

Ranganathan is on an official visit to Egypt, Palestine, and Lebanon from 16 to 21 August, during which she is meeting counterparts and key stakeholders across the region. The visit comes at a particularly sensitive diplomatic moment — India has consistently backed a two-State solution while also maintaining strong economic and strategic ties across the Arab world. Notably, this is among the most active periods of Indian diplomatic engagement in the Middle East and North Africa region in recent memory, coinciding with India's BRICS chairship year.

The visit's breadth — spanning multilateral frameworks, bilateral diplomacy, and humanitarian concerns — reflects India's effort to position itself as a credible voice for the Global South in a region experiencing significant geopolitical flux.