MJ Akbar to look after ties with Gulf

New Delhi: Newly appointed Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar has been tasked with looking after India’s engagement with West Asia, a strategically key region with which the Modi government has stepped up its engagement. Responsibility given to Akbar, a journalist-turned-politician, also includes India’s relations with the European Union, Central and Western Europe, except the big three — France, Germany and Britain. The Gulf region is home to nearly five million Indians and key for India’s energy security. PTI