New Delhi, February 21: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India participated as an observer at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting held in Washington on Thursday. The country supports all efforts to establish peace in Gaza under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, “We attended the Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C. We welcomed President Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan initiative and expressed support for ongoing efforts under UNSC Resolution 2803.”
The opening meeting saw representatives from over 40 countries, including several heads of state. India was represented by Namgya Khampa, Charge d’Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The spokesperson also clarified India’s stance on the joint statement issued during the meeting, which raised concerns over “unilateral” actions by Israel in the occupied West Bank. Jaiswal remarked, “You should know that this was not a document akin to agreements typically made at the UN. Our position on this matter was articulated in the recent joint statement from the India-Arab League ministerial meeting.”
He referred to the ‘Delhi Declaration’ from the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ meeting held on January 31. This meeting included foreign ministers from Arab nations and the Secretary-General of the Arab League. Prior to this, a meeting of senior officials from India and Arab countries took place on January 30.
The declaration on the Palestinian issue stated, “Both parties reaffirm their commitment to establishing a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. They supported the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, coexisting peacefully with Israel. Both parties endorsed the respect for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
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