Did India Observe the Board of Peace Meeting?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 20 (NationPress) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Friday that India participated in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington as an observer nation. India remains committed to supporting all initiatives aimed at establishing peace in Gaza in accordance with the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution.
“We did take part in the Board of Peace gathering in Washington, D.C., as an observer. We have also endorsed the Gaza Peace Plan proposed by President Trump and all related efforts under Resolution 2803 of the UNSC,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the MEA, during the weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
Over 40 nations, including several heads of state, were represented at this initial meeting, with India’s delegation led by Namgya Khampa, Charge d'Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C.
The MEA also addressed India's position regarding a joint statement expressing concerns over Israel's “unilateral” actions in the occupied West Bank.
“It should be noted that this was not a negotiated document, as is typically the case in UN discussions. Our viewpoint on this matter was articulated in the recent India-Arab League Ministerial Joint Statement,” Jaiswal elaborated.
This statement refers to the 'Delhi Declaration of the Second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting' released on January 31, which followed the second meeting of the India-Arab Foreign Ministers. This session included representatives from various Arab nations and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, preceded by a meeting of senior officials on January 30.
Regarding Palestine, the Declaration emphasized: “Both parties reiterated their commitment to achieving a fair, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, according to international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. They called for a sovereign, independent, and viable State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, coexisting peacefully with Israel. Both sides endorsed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”