United Nations, September 24 (Daily Kiran) : Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar recently held a series of diplomatic meetings with foreign ministers from four European countries amid his busy schedule at the United Nations. The discussions focused on global challenges and economic cooperation.
On Wednesday, Jaishankar participated in three separate meetings with groups of foreign ministers from countries in the Global South. Among these, he held bilateral talks with the European ministers.
Jaishankar shared insights from his meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen on the social media platform X. They exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and discussed advancements following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to The Hague in May.
During that visit, India and the Netherlands elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership.
The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Finland are members of the European Union (EU). In January, India reached an agreement on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU, which is set to be formalized in December. Jaishankar’s meetings with the foreign ministers of these three countries also addressed this agreement.
Following his meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Jaishankar noted on X that they discussed current geopolitical and technology-related challenges. He emphasized the strength of bilateral relations and cooperation with the European Union.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon expressed a desire to enhance bilateral strategic and political ties, as well as economic and investment cooperation. She mentioned that they are working on a visit to India with a delegation focused on specific sectors.
Jaishankar highlighted that discussions included the implementation of the India-EU FTA and emerging opportunities in trade and investment. Key topics also encompassed energy, manufacturing, digital technology, connectivity, defense, and multilateral cooperation.
In a bilateral meeting with Andorran Foreign Minister Imma Tor Fos, Jaishankar addressed issues related to trade and investment, climate change, and artificial intelligence (AI). He noted that they also discussed their multilateral collaborations.
Throughout a day filled with meetings, Jaishankar engaged with foreign ministers from various multilateral groups, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), and the L.69 group. The L.69 comprises over 30 countries from the Global South working together to reform the United Nations Security Council. Leaders from the African C-10 group also participated in these discussions.
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