Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said that India’s relatively low-level representation at the ongoing Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, stood in stark contrast to the presence of several heads of state. He questioned whether the decision reflected "strategic restraint" or a "missed opportunity."
India is being represented at the summit by Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh. The summit, being hosted in the Red Sea resort city, comes in the wake of the recent ceasefire in Gaza, and is expected to chart a roadmap for reconstruction and long-term regional stability.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reportedly extended an invitation to attend, New Delhi opted to depute KV Singh in his stead.
The summit is being attended by several high-ranking global dignitaries, including US President Donald Trump and nearly twenty other heads of state and government.
Commenting on India’s representation, Tharoor said, “India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza Peace Summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?”
He clarified that his remarks were not a reflection on Singh’s competence, but rather on the potential implications of India’s choice.
“Given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey,” he said.
The Congress leader said that by not being represented at a higher level, India may have limited its ability to effectively influence deliberations on issues critical to the region’s future.
“For reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling,” he said.
The summit takes place in the aftermath of the implementation of the first phase of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. A ceasefire, brokered last week, came into effect on Friday, bringing a temporary halt to hostilities in the region.