Interview

In this exclusive conversation with Diplomat Today, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, former Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and former High Commissioner to Seychelles, shares his assessment of the region’s evolving strategic landscape and the future of India–West Asia relations. He discusses the emerging Gulf security architecture, India’s role in promoting stability around Yemen and the Red Sea, the importance of its longstanding ties with Gulf countries, and the opportunities for deeper cooperation in energy, investment, infrastructure, technology and connectivity.

Over the past three decades of the post-Cold War era, there has been a prevailing conviction that globalisation and interdependence among nations will lead to a better world for all and, for a group of countries that call themselves “the West”, that they will lead this movement.

Amid the accelerating geopolitical transformations reshaping the international landscape, Egyptian-Indian relations have emerged as a distinguished model of strategic partnership founded on mutual respect, deep-rooted cultural ties, and a shared commitment to sustainable development, regional stability, and South-South cooperation.

Ambassador Srikumar Menon, IFS (Retd.), highlights that India – Africa relations have been shaped by a strong foundation of capacity-building, inclusive development, and South – South cooperation. Reflecting on his diplomatic experience, he underscores India’s role in education, skills development, and the spread of affordable innovations in healthcare, agriculture, and digital services across Africa.