India-Arab Forum – Partnership through culture’ got off to a solemn start in New Delhi on 2nd December 2008. Indian External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee and League of Arab States Secretary General Amre Moussa jointly inaugurated the Forum Summit.

The Forum reasserted India’s vibrant relations with the Arab world, dating back to many centuries.

Speaking on the occasion, both Pranab Mukherjee and Amre Moussa hailed the long-standing traditional links between India and the Arab world. Both the leaders cited historical events to show how the culture of India and the Arab world evolved broadly into a cooperative and progressive bond.

External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee called the Forum a “landmark event in the India Arab relations. It would not be an exaggeration to say that our relations are as old as time. The Indus Valley Civilization had vibrant links with the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian civilizations.”

The six-day event was organised by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in cooperation with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Forum addressed the need for more cultural exchange programmes between India and Arab countries besides economic cooperation.

India’s Contribution

Pranab Mukherjee traced India’s close historical links with the Gulf region and underscored the strategic importance of Gulf region as a source of energy for India. India reciprocated it by becoming an important source of human resources to the Gulf region. Mukherjee said, “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 so much to the development of Gulf countries which they rightly consider as their second home. Increasingly, the profile of the Indian community in this region is also changing and today almost 20 percent of Indians are professionals”.

Both Pranab Mukherjee and Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa inked an accord for a Forum of Cooperation in the presence of envoys from Arab countries.

Added Mukherjee, “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”. Expressing India’s solidarity to the Arab cause in Palestine and the ongoing peace initiatives, Pranab Mukherjee said, “Annapolis process needs to be taken forward.”

During his address, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed said: “A pluralistic society such as ours which stands for composite culture and unity in diversity can never accept the concept of clash of civilizations.”

Amre Moussa also dwelt at length on the past relationship of India and League of Arab world which was “comprehensive and encompassed every aspect of human life such as commercial, intellectual, religious, social and cultural”. He said, “We always stand firm with India. I feel that we are one and we have common aspirations. Our rich legacy makes us move with pride and determination to build a better future.”

Pranab Mukherjee also recounted the archaeological evidence that reinforced harmonious relationship and said, “We always had a regular exchange of visitors between India and the Arab world.” He narrated how Queen Hachepsut of Egypt despatched a large expedition to India. He mentioned the famous Saudi Arabia traveller Ibn Batuta, who travelled extensively in India and wrote interesting accounts in his “Rihla”.

Dr. Amit Mitra, Secretary General, Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) also threw light on the Indo-Arab ties.

Rising Trade

India and League of Arab States have come a long way in the field of trade. Both the leaders acknowledged the progress and expected that the progress will continue further with the mutual cooperation. Amre Moussa also spoke on the encouraging trade between India and League of Arab worlds and said, “Since the beginning of the century till now the trade between India and Arab world has moved from US$8 million to US$50 million and it will go up to US$100 million in the coming years. What is to be noted is that this figure is not about oil trade but trade in commodities and services”.

The inaugural ceremony of the Forum attracted an august gathering comprising diplomats, academics, artists, and students and from various Arab states to endorse the bonds of cultural harmony. The summit reinforced the deep-rooted historical ties between the two sides and highlighted the importance of culture as a tool to resolve political differences between the sub-continent and the Arab world.

The first two days of the event were spent on round-table sessions where academics and experts from India discussed historical ties between the sub-continent and the Arab world. An Arab fine arts exhibition was organised at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. A film festival was also organised during the mega event. Nearly 150 award-winning films were screened at the film festival.