India and Gulf Cooperation Council Hold Troika Ministerial in New York, Welcome Start of FTA Talks

Key facts

• India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held the India-GCC Troika Ministerial Meeting in New York on September 25, 2026, on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar leading the Indian delegation.
• The GCC was represented at the Troika level by Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, with ministers and senior officials from the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait also participating.
• The leaders welcomed the launch of India-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations after the Terms of Reference were finalised in February 2026.
• Total trade between India and the GCC stood at USD 178.66 billion in FY 2025-26.
• The two sides reviewed implementation of the India-GCC Joint Action Plan (JAP) 2024-2028, covering political dialogue, security, trade and investment, agriculture and food security, transportation, energy, health, culture and education.
• The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building on the first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue held in Riyadh on September 9, 2024.
• Both sides agreed to hold the second edition of the India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue at an early date.
• Jaishankar thanked GCC countries for energy and fertiliser supplies despite disruption of trade routes during the recent West Asia conflict and emphasised expanded cooperation in renewables, biofuels and green technologies.
• The two sides exchanged views on the situation in West Asia, challenges to commercial shipping in international waterways, reform of multilateral institutions, sustainability and terrorism.