Punjab deepens global engagement through GCC, CIS ambassadors' roundtables

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PT) As part of its international outreach leading up to the 6th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit (PPIS) 2026, Punjab on Thursday organised two constructive and forward-looking diplomatic

roundtables with Ambassadors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.

Industry and Commerce Minister Sanjeev Arora chaired the engagements and saw the participation of Ambassadors, senior diplomatic representatives, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials, and senior officers of the Punjab government.

Addressing both roundtables, Arora highlighted Punjab’s progressive reforms, including the Right to Business Act and the enhanced FastTrack Punjab single-window system, according to an official statement.

He encouraged GCC and CIS member countries to explore Punjab as a preferred destination for manufacturing and services and to anchor sector-specific partnerships through ‘Invest Punjab’.

Arora invited the Ambassadors and business delegations from GCC and CIS nations to participate in PPIS 2026 and explore investment opportunities in agriculture, agri-tech, Dairy, IT services, education, tourism, medical and healthcare ecosystems and infrastructure.

The GCC Roundtable was attended by Ambassadors from Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, reflecting the collective readiness of the GCC bloc to enhance economic ties with Punjab.

The GCC envoys appreciated the clarity of Punjab’s presentation and observed that the GCC region could serve as a major export gateway for Punjab and India, given its robust logistics systems and extensive global connectivity with Africa, Europe and the USA, the statement added.

The CIS Roundtable saw active participation from the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and Belarus, who expressed strong interest in strengthening long-term partnerships with Punjab.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan highlighted education, tourism and culture, and trade and exports as three key pillars of collaboration.

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation underscored significant scope for expanding agricultural trade from Punjab, especially in rice and tomato products, and highlighted opportunities for cooperation in railways, petrochemicals, fintech, artificial intelligence, aerospace, banking and financial services, the statement said.

The Ambassador of Armenia commended Punjab for its proactive outreach to CIS nations and expressed interest in partnerships in agri-tech, dairy, IT services and renewable energy, while also emphasising the importance of people-to-people links, annual cultural festivals and university-level collaboration in tourism management and skill development.

The Belarus Ambassador congratulated the Punjab government for initiating direct engagement with the CIS region and stressed Belarus’ expertise in agricultural education and agri-machinery manufacturing.

The roundtables concluded on a positive note, with both sides agreeing to maintain close coordination and accelerate preparations for enhanced GCC and CIS participation in the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit in March 2026. PTI SKC DRR