• India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the League of Arab States (LAS) organised the First India-Arab Universities’ Presidents’ Conference in New Delhi on February 5 & 6.

• The conference was organised under the education vertical of the executive programme for implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation between India and LAS.

• The Conference aimed at harnessing the potential of higher education in ways that transcend the national borders and to lay the groundwork for future collaboration in the field of Higher education between India and the Arab world.

League of Arab States

• The League of Arab States, also known as Arab League, was established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, following the adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944.

• It is an inter-governmental organisation with its seat in Cairo, Egypt encompassing all Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa. 

• Currently, the League has 22 member states: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 

• Its mandate focuses on strengthening relations between its member states, coordination of their policies and co-operation between them while safeguarding the independence and sovereignty of each member. 

• Over the years, the Arab League has created frameworks for pan-Arab  cooperation on political, security, economic and legal issues. 

Relations with the UN

• The League of Arab States shares a common mission with the United Nations: promoting peace, security and stability by preventing conflict, resolving disputes and acting in a spirit of solidarity and unity. 

In doing so, the two organisations also work together to expand economic opportunity, advance respect for human rights and build political inclusion. 

• The UN and the LAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1989, which was renewed in 2016 by concluding a Protocol of Amendment. In June 2019, the UN opened a Liaison Office to the League of Arab States in Cairo.

• The UN and LAS secretariats and respective agencies, funds and programmes regularly hold general cooperation and sectoral meetings. as mandated by the General Assembly. 

• The two organisations also continue to invest in building their engagement through capacity-building exercises and staff exchanges. 

India-Arab League Relations

• India has traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations with the countries that form the Arab League. These relations date back to ancient times when traders, scholars and diplomats would often traverse the Arabian Sea and the land routes linking India to West Asia and the Arab peninsula, transferring knowledge and merchandise.

• A shared cultural heritage, through the linkages of language and religion, continues to lend energy to these historic bonds.

• India’s staunch commitment to deepen engagement with this region, shared views on major international developments, and strong economic and commercial relations, form the bedrock of India-Arab relations. 

• Most of India’s external trade passes through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. There are vital Indian investments in countries stretching from Oman and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Sudan and beyond.

• The Arab nations cater to about 60 per cent of India’s crude oil imports and more than 50 per cent of fertilisers and related products, making our partnership robust and indispensable.

• India’s relationship with the LAS is multifaceted, encompassing diplomacy, trade, economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges. 

• An executive programme has been adopted to outline various initiatives aimed at enhancing collaboration.

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