Gulf countries have requested for deployment of doctors over COVID-19, says MEA

Expressing confidence in India-Gulf ties, the ministry of external affairs said today that it has received a request from Gulf countries for the deployment of doctors and nurses over COVID-19 crisis

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said: "Gulf countries value ties with India and want priority discussion with India for post-COVID-19 economic recovery. These countries are deeply committed to supporting ties with India."

He said India has "made special effort to ensure uninterrupted supply of food during Ramazan to the Gulf".

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PM Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishanker have been in touch with their Gulf counterparts in the past few weeks.

Prime Minister Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders of GCC countries - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman - as well as with leaders of Palestine, Jordan and Eqypt.

EAM Jaishanker has had telephonic conversations with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Oman on April 23 and with foreign ministers of Qatar, UAE and Palestine on April 24. He had earlier spoken to foreign ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria.

Slamming the emergence of fake tweets, as seen in the past few weeks, he said, "few tweets can't characterise India-Gulf ties".

Last week saw a Pakistani ID impersonating as an Omani Princess after which clarification was issued by the princess.

Asked about the evacuation of Indians, MEA spokesperson said, "The matter is receiving the attention of the government."

"It is premature to spell out plans at this stage but consultation and discussion are underway," the spokesman added.

He said Indian missions are making "exceptional efforts" for the welfare of stranded Indians and have been reaching out to them in several ways including providing food.

Indian missions in countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia have tweeted asking stranded Indians to register in the event of a possible future evacuation once the lockdown is removed.

On Oman's ministry of finance issuing a circular to replace ex-pat workers with Omanis in the government sector impacting India, Mea said, "It is not a recent policy. It is not specific to India or targets India" highlighting that the government of Oman is taking "special care of Indians" during the ongoing global pandemic.

There are 7,70,000 Indians in Oman of which 6,55,000 are workers, according to the MEA. The Omani government puts the number of Indian workers in Oman at 617,730 at the end of 2019.