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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Modi to visit London this week as India-UK trade pact nears signing
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the UK this week, the Indian government said on Sunday, as the countries prepare to formally sign a long-pending bilateral free trade agreement. Modi's two-day trip on the invitation of his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, will start on Wednesday. 'During the visit, the two sides will also review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with a specific focus on trade and economy, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate, health, education and people-to-people ties,' the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday. Launched in January 2022, the FTA negotiations between India and the UK were set to conclude the same year, but despite more than a dozen formal rounds, talks have stalled over issues like tariffs, rules of origin and mobility for services professionals. A deal-in-principle was announced by Modi and Starmer in May, and India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was in London last month, with his office saying the visit aimed at charting out a 'clear, time-bound road map for its finalization and implementation.' At the same time, India is in ongoing talks with the US, which is seeking broader access to several key sectors, including agriculture, automobiles, steel, and aluminum — a concession New Delhi resists. Without a deal, Indian exports could face a 26–27 percent 'reciprocal' tariff imposed by President Donald Trump's administration starting Aug. 1. The FTA with the UK could offer India more predictability in economic matters, according to Prof. Harsh V. Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation. 'This is going to be an important marker in the India-UK relationship, and India signaling to the world, particularly in the age of Trump — where there is so much unpredictability and volatility — that any kind of predictability that comes in with other partners is a benefit for every side,' he told Arab News. 'In this case, the UK and India would be hoping that this gives them greater predictability in their economic partnership, thereby reducing some of the challenges that continue to emanate from Washington.' The pact would also signal to other partners that India is willing to engage on economic matters. India is also in talks with the EU to conclude a comprehensive FTA by the end of 2025. 'This is a very important signal to other interlocutors, including the EU and US, that India will be willing to engage creatively on concluding these FTAs,' Pant said. 'This FTA is also crucial for a post-Brexit UK that is trying to retain its economic relevance around the world.'
Arab News
19 hours ago
- Arab News
Gaza's ‘tragic story' shows ‘unraveling of international law,' Pakistan's Ambassador to UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad tells Arab News
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, in an interview with Arab News. (AN photo) NEW YORK CITY: A long-standing advocate of the Palestinian cause, Pakistan is using its presidency of the UN Security Council to help refocus global attention on the crisis in Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, outlined his country's vision in a wide-ranging interview with Arab News as the South Asian country assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council 'It's a tragic story. It is an unraveling of international law, international humanitarian law,' Ahmad said, decrying the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the international community's failure to pressure Israel to put an end to it. Reiterating his country's position at the UN, he said: 'We want clear movement in the direction of Palestinian statehood, on the basis of the right to self-determination, on the basis of international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions.' He also highlighted the significance of the upcoming conference on implementing the two-state solution — to be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France from July 28 to 30 — calling it 'another golden opportunity for the international community to come together and to reaffirm that support for the Palestinian cause.' Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister are expected to attend, offering the country's full political and diplomatic backing. In preparation, Ahmad said Pakistan has actively participated in eight preparatory roundtables addressing the political, security, humanitarian and legal dimensions of the two-state solution. 'We have described how we are going to support many of those actions,' he said. Regarding coordination with Saudi Arabia and others involved in ceasefire negotiations, Ahmad noted that while Pakistan is 'not directly involved,' it remains in close contact with key stakeholders. 'We hope that this ceasefire should be announced sooner rather than later,' he said. Asked whether Pakistan would consider normalizing relations with Israel if a Palestinian state were recognized and the violence in Gaza ended, Ahmad was unequivocal. 'There are no indications, unfortunately, from the Israeli side on moving forward with recognition,' he said. 'What we are looking at this point of time is Palestinian statehood in the context of the two-state solution.' Another unresolved conflict concerns the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. In May, India launched Operation Sindoor, firing missiles at what it claimed were militant targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in retaliation for a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, that killed 26 civilians. India, which has accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism in Indian-administered Kashmir, said that Pakistan-based insurgents were behind the attack — claims that Islamabad denies. Pakistan responded to India's attacks with missile, drone and artillery strikes along the Line of Control and on military installations, in what it called Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, sparking intense cross-border exchanges until a ceasefire was brokered on May 10. Ahmad linked these events to the broader unresolved status of the region. 'This recurring conflict was the result of Indian unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, which Pakistan had to respond to in accordance with the right to self-defense, in accordance with the UN Charter,' he said. He welcomed international mediation efforts and reiterated Pakistan's position. 'We want to have this dialog with India. We want to address the issues between us, and in particular the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.' He restated the legal basis for Pakistan's claims. 'This position derives itself from the resolutions of the UN Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir,' which call for a plebiscite for the Kashmiri people. However, 'that plebiscite has not been held because India has refused to comply.' Ahmad argued that lasting peace in South Asia is unlikely without resolving this 'core issue.' Turning to the credibility of the Security Council itself, Ahmad was blunt in his critique. 'It's very clear; resolutions are there. The problem is about implementation,' he said, citing both Kashmir and Palestine as long-neglected issues. He referred to Article 25 of the UN Charter, which affirms that all Security Council resolutions are binding, whether under Chapter VI or Chapter VII. 'There should be a review, an assessment of how the Security Council has been able to implement many of its resolutions,' he said. He proposed that special envoys or representatives of the secretary-general could help advance implementation. 'More important than adopting those resolutions is to have them implemented,' he said. Ahmad spoke at length about the leadership role Pakistan envisioned at the Security Council — including its commitment to multilateralism and its strategic engagement across UN agencies. Beyond peace and security, Pakistan remains actively engaged in the UN's development, humanitarian and environmental work. 'Pakistan, being a developing country, has development challenges. We are particularly impacted by climate change,' said Ahmad, recalling the devastating floods that have repeatedly afflicted the country in recent years. He highlighted Pakistan's leadership in climate diplomacy, emergency response and poverty reduction through collaboration with specialized UN agencies. 'We are among the lead countries who are leading this international discourse on development, on climate change,' he said. According to Ahmad, Pakistan is active not only in New York, but also across other UN hubs — including Geneva, Rome and Nairobi — contributing to human rights, sustainable development and climate resilience. On issues from Palestine and Kashmir to Security Council reform, he said, Pakistan is pushing for action grounded in the UN Charter and international law. As Ahmad sees it, the July presidency is an opportunity 'to bring that focus back' to the principles on which the UN was founded. At the heart of this approach is a renewed emphasis on multilateralism — a value Ahmad calls 'the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy.' In an increasingly divided world, he stressed that 'the attachment to the UN, the charter, international law, and this ability for the member states to work together through the UN' remains vital. Pakistan, he said, aims to advance peace and security through constructive cooperation with all member states, both inside and outside the council. Reflecting that goal, Pakistan's signature open debate next week will focus on 'how we can better use multilateralism and peaceful settlement of disputes to promote international peace and security.' The aim, he added, is to 'bring that discussion back to the council' and reaffirm the tools provided in the UN Charter — particularly Chapter VI on peaceful dispute resolution, Chapter VIII on regional arrangements, and the secretary-general's role in preventive diplomacy. 'We want to bring together and reaffirm the commitment of the Security Council to really utilize these tools,' Ahmad said. Although some expected Pakistan's signature event to spotlight national concerns, Ahmad clarified that the debate 'is not specific to any situation.' Rather, it is intended to promote 'a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy,' and 'peacefully address disputes.' 'Pakistan does not believe that we are in the Security Council only to promote our own issues or agendas. Our agenda is broad, based on international law,' he said. Ahmad argued that such a holistic approach is essential to resolving many of the crises currently on the council's agenda — including Gaza and Kashmir.
Arab News
20 hours ago
- Arab News
Support for Palestinian statehood gathers momentum
In many European countries, official recognition of a Palestinian state is an excruciatingly slow process, more so than it should be. Despite mounting pressure from parliamentarians, civil society organizations and the wider public, many governments remain cautious, including British and the French authorities who have already expressed support for such a move. Their caution, even fear, before taking such a crucial decision is harming their own national interests, violates natural justice, and ignores the fact that the promise of the advancement of a peace based on a two-state solution outstrips, by far, any political risks that come with taking the plunge and recognizing Palestine as a state. Therefore, it was refreshing to hear French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to London this month for an Anglo-French summit, tell British parliamentarians: 'With Gaza in ruins and the West Bank being attacked on a daily basis, the perspective of a Palestinian state has never been put at risk as it is (now), and this is why this solution of the two states and the recognition of the state of Palestine is … the only way to build peace and stability for all in the whole region.' This is a somewhat late realization of something that, had it been done years ago, might have prevented the events of the past two, horrific years. Still, Macron deserves credit for advancing this agenda now and resisting Israeli claims that in the aftermath of Oct. 7, such recognition would be a reward for Hamas and terrorism. Israel is deliberately advancing this spurious theory that recognition of Palestinian statehood is effectively caving in to terrorism, when in fact the aim of such recognition is to break the impasse in resolving the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict peacefully, and actually sideline extremism. If nothing else, recognition would be a step toward redressing the power imbalance between Israel and Palestine, which has become a hindrance to efforts at reaching a peace agreement based on a two-state solution. Macron's remarks in London created some momentum for Palestinian statehood; immediately after his departure, perhaps inspired and encouraged by his statements, 59 MPs from Britain's governing Labour Party signed a letter addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, calling on him to recognize, 'with great urgency,' the State of Palestine. Certainly, many of those who signed the letter have for a long time been outspoken proponents of such recognition. But others were new recruits to the idea, who see it not only as an end in itself but also a response to the shocking news coming out of Gaza every day, and to the constant stream of 'novel ideas' that originate from the Israeli government and inflict even more misery on the Palestinian people. Recognition would be a step toward redressing the power imbalance between Israel and Palestine. Yossi Mekelberg Deplorable suggestions from both Washington and senior Israeli officials have also served as a catalyst for the letter from MPs, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal of a 'voluntary migration' of Palestinians from Gaza, and the announcement by Defense Minister Israel Katz of his plan to forcibly transfer hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, if not the entire population of the territory, to a camp in the almost completely destroyed city of Rafah. The MPs called for action to prevent Katz's sinister plan becoming reality before it is too late. Israel's former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this week described it as tantamount to the construction of a 'concentration camp.' It is designed to make the lives of those forcibly placed there impossible, while preventing them from leaving unless their destination is outside of Mandatory Palestine. The British politicians who signed the letter to Lammy consider recognition of Palestinian statehood a priority, but in the meantime they also demanded the removal from the agenda of Katz's draconian proposal to concentrate masses of Palestinians in such a camp, which seems to be more of a transitional facility serving as a precursor to expulsion. In addition, they urged Lammy to continue to support the work of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in providing aid to the people of Gaza, while also pressing for the 'full and unhindered resumption of the humanitarian aid,' and efforts to secure the release of all hostages. This is an opportunity for the British government to adopt these recommendations — some would call them demands — and in doing so become an important player in efforts to resolve one of the most intractable conflicts in modern history. In an ideal world, recognition of the State of Palestine by European nations would come from the EU as a whole and not happen in piecemeal fashion, as has been the case so far with the much-welcomed recognition in May last year by Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway (the last of which is not a member of the EU). Nevertheless, the need for unanimity in passing such a resolution within the EU makes it almost impossible to achieve, as long as countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary oppose it. Therefore, if Paris and London were to announce recognition of Palestinian statehood in tandem — either before or during the upcoming summit of world leaders on the two-state solution, which was postponed by the outbreak of the war between Israel and Iran in June and is now scheduled to convene at the UN headquarters in New York in September — it would send a strong message from two major powers, which are also permanent members of the UN Security Council, in support of what is already the policy of 147 other members of the UN. The message should be clear: This is not an anti-Israeli act, and most definitely not a reward for terrorism, but instead a positive move toward the peaceful resolution of one of the longest-running disputes in contemporary international politics, stretching all the way back to the beginning of the 20th century. It reaffirms the partition plan of 1947 and many subsequent international resolutions, and follows in the footsteps of diplomatic efforts that began with the Oslo Accords in 1993 and have been negotiated in different rounds of peace talks since then. It could be a game-changer, allowing the Palestinians to negotiate with the Israelis as equals. As long as this does not happen, the asymmetry in the balance of power between the two protagonists remains a major obstacle, and it is one Israel is unfairly using during negotiations to demand concessions their Palestinian interlocutors cannot deliver, or to cause crises in the discussions. This effectively allows Israel to postpone indefinitely any agreement based on a two-state solution, while also creating a situation on the ground that is prohibitive to the establishment of a territorially contiguous independent Palestinian state. Recognition of a Palestinian state would send a clear message from the international community to those who are hell-bent on annexation of the occupied West Bank and the building of Israeli settlements there. Whatever the setbacks along the way, the only viable and long-term sustainable solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remains a two-state solution. The letter from British MPs is, therefore, a welcome contribution to the efforts to advance this cause, and the British government must heed its recommendations. • Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg
