India, Arab League nations back 2-state solution to Palestine issue
New Delhi (PTI): India and the Arab League nations on Saturday laid out a broader vision for deeper two-way ties, pitched for a sovereign and viable Palestine state living side-by-side with Israel and underlined the need for conducting international relations based on the UN charter.
At the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the two sides condemned cross-border terror and called on all countries to work collectively to combat terrorism, dismantle terror infrastructures and terror financing and bring the perpetrators of terrorist acts to justice without delay.
The India-hosted meeting saw the participation of 19 member countries of the Arab League, considered as an influential grouping.
A declaration unveiled at the end of the meeting said the two sides have agreed to strengthen joint efforts to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as they have strongly condemned the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam targeting innocent Indians.
It said the Arab League member countries have reaffirmed their full and steadfast support to India in confronting terrorism in all its forms.
The declaration said the meeting discussed a wide range of regional and global issues of mutual concern, including the question of Palestine, support for multilateralism and respect for the sovereignty of states, counterterrorism and reforms of the UN Security Council.
The two sides have reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding international peace and security, it said.
"The two sides emphasised the importance of international relations being founded on respect for the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs," the declaration said.
It added that the two sides have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a "just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East in accordance to international law, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative".
"They called for a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine based on 1967 borders, living side by side in peace with Israel. Both parties supported the practice of inalienable rights of the Palestinian people," it said.
The two sides welcomed the outcomes of last year's Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, which culminated in the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
"They commended the pivotal role played by the Arab States -- particularly the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar -- as well as the United States of America," the Delhi Declaration said.
It said the meeting urged all the parties concerned to fully comply with the implementation of the agreement and noted the launch of the Arab-Islamic plan for relief, recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
It further underscored the necessity of ensuring adequate, sustained and unimpeded access to humanitarian and relief assistance throughout the Gaza Strip, guaranteeing the continued operations of relief agencies and international and humanitarian organisations.
The remarks by India and the Arab League nations come days after US President Donald Trump unveiled his "Board of Peace" that seeks to work towards bringing a lasting peace to Gaza and possibly, resolve global conflicts.
India and the Arab League nations also vowed to expand cooperation in the areas of energy, digital domain, heath and education.
The two sides condemned attacks by Houthi militias on maritime navigation and emphasised that the protection of the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea is not only an Arab and regional responsibility, but also a shared international responsibility and a matter of global interest.
They warned against any attempt to undermine the stability in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, the declaration said.
Both sides also reaffirmed their collective determination to act as "constructive forces" for peace, equity and sustainable development, and strengthen the South-South cooperation.
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
