United Nations: Every year, foreign ministers from around the world converge here for the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level session, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took the opportunity to catch up with many of them.
He spent Tuesday (local time) meeting nearly a dozen of them individually, discussing a range of topics from development and cooperation to Europe’s strategy and the Ukraine conflict.
In addition, there were others who attended the high-level meeting of ‘Like-Minded Global South Countries’ that Jaishankar convened.
As India and the European Union are trying to forge closer cooperation, he met Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the foreign minister of Denmark, who holds the presidency, to discuss India-EU cooperation.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said that he “valued his (Rasmussen’s) insights on latest developments in Europe and the Ukraine conflict.”
The Netherlands Foreign Minister David van Weel and he discussed “European strategic positioning and India’s approach”, the EAM said on X.
Two foreign ministers from South Asia were also on Jaishankar’s roster.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said on X that at his meeting with Jaishankar, they reaffirmed “the strong friendship and close cooperation” between their countries.
Jaishankar said they “reviewed the progress of our bilateral cooperation”.
After his meeting with Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel, the EAM posted, “Our support to Maldives’ development remains steadfast”.
With Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, Jaishankar said on X that he discussed following up on the recent “successful” state visit of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam to India.
Jamaica’s Foreign Minister Kamina J. Smith wrote on X that it is “always a great pleasure to speak” with Jaishankar.
He congratulated her on her re-appointment as foreign minister and said that he looked forward “to strengthening our partnership”.
Following the victory of Prime Minister Andrew Holnes’s Labour Party in elections this month, Smith was sworn in last week as foreign minister.
Jaishankar said on X that he appreciated the Suriname Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva’s “warm words for our ties”.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali said on X that he was glad to have a meeting with Jaishankar.
The EAM said he had a “quick chat” with “friend” Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, on the sidelines of the Like-Minded Global South Countries’ meeting.
He also met Foreign Minister Lejone Mpotjoana of Lesotho and Alva Baptiste of St Lucia.
Although not a minister, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the group chairman and CEO of DP World, a Dubai-based multinational company, also met with Jaishankar.
The EAM posted on X that they had “a good discussion on the current developments in the international economy and their implications for connectivity and logistics.”
DP World has operations around the world, including in India, where it is developing a $510 million terminal at Tuna Tekra in Gujarat.
(IANS)
