National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has arrived in Jeddah to participate in a summit of national security advisers and other officials hosted by Saudi Arabia today to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. He was welcomed at the Jeddah Airport by Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Suhel Khan, and Consul General Mohammed Shahid Alam, according to an official statement issued by the Embassy of India in Riyadh.
The meeting aims to address Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan and explore pathways toward resolving the conflict. Representatives from around 30 countries have been invited to attend the summit. India’s participation in the assembly reflects its strong commitment to peaceful resolutions of international conflicts, primarily through dialogue and diplomacy.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, announced the invitees to the summit on Sunday. Besides India, representatives from Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, the European Union, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Zambia will attend the meeting. Media reports said that Turkey’s chief adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic will also be attending the summit.
Yermak added that the summit would address issues such as the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine; the release of prisoners; guarantees on nuclear safety, food, and energy security; restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity; a tribunal for those who perpetrated aggression; and measures to ensure the peaceful use of natural resources. The delegations will examine ways to implement the peace plan, which is expected to bring about a lasting and just solution to the Ukraine crisis, according to Yermak.
The US and Saudi Arabia are working closely on several regional issues, including efforts to strengthen the Yemen truce and push for peace in Syria, according to a senior White House official. The official declined to name the issues, but he said the US and Saudi Arabia share a view of the need to “build stability in the Middle East.”
According to a separate report by Axios, the National Security Advisor of the United States, Jake Sullivan, and the Saudi deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, they met with Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval on Monday. The two discussed cooperation on various regional issues and agreed to continue to maintain close consultations.
During the meeting, SPA reported that they reviewed significant progress in further strengthening the now 15-month-old truce in Yemen and ongoing efforts to retake territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. They also discussed the need to enhance economic ties and cooperation on the issue of countering the proliferation of ballistic missiles, SPA added. Sullivan and Doval also spoke of the importance of strengthening bilateral security and military ties and reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership based on mutual respect and shared values. The two leaders agreed to maintain regular consultations and to hold high-level bilateral meetings as needed. The two leaders will meet again later this month at the Quad Summit in Australia.
