External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met UN chief Antonio Guterres and leaders from at least half a dozen countries, including Iran and Sri Lanka, and discussed bilateral ties and issues of regional as well as global importance.
S Jaishankar, who is in the Ugandan capital Kampala to attend the two-day Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, met UN Secretary-General Guterres on the sidelines of the conference.
"A pleasure as always to meet with @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres. Discussed Agenda 2030, UN reforms, the West Asia situation, maritime security and the Ukraine conflict," he posted on X along with one photograph of their meeting.
On the sidelines of the NAM summit, S Jaishankar also met Iran's Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran of Colombia and Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A Manalo.
S Jaishankar said he had a "useful conversation" with the Iranian leader, with whom he spoke about "our bilateral ties as well as recent regional developments." "Agreed on further exchanges to take forward our agenda of cooperation," he wrote in his post on X.
S Jaishankar said he discussed "global issues and our bilateral ties" with his Columbian counterpart.
"Great to meet @SecManalo of the Philippines. Assessed favourably developments in our trade, investment and security partnership. Discussed matters pertaining to security, stability and rule of law in the Indo-Pacific," he said in another post on X.
S Jaishankar also called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the progress of bilateral initiatives. He also met newly-appointed Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mohammed Hasan Mahmud and hailed the bilateral relations, which are "growing from strength to strength." Separately, he met foreign minister Palestine Riyad al-Maliki and held a "detailed and comprehensive discussion" on the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Early on the second day of the NAM summit, S Jaishankar also caught up with General Odongo Jeje, Uganda's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"Delighted to begin the day with my dear friend @GenJejeOdongo. Thanked him for the excellent arrangements for the NAM Summit. ... Assured India's wholehearted support for Uganda's Chairship," he posted on X.
"Noted the progress in our bilateral cooperation since my April 2023 visit. Direct flights, training & exchanges, and commencement of the NFSU campus are among notable developments," he added.
On Friday, the minister held a series of similar bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Bahrain, Serbia, Bolivia, Azerbaijan, and Venezuela.
Held under the leadership of Uganda, the NAM summit brought together more than 120 developing countries on the platform of crucial historic significance for the Global South.
From Kampala, S Jaishankar will travel to Nigeria for a three-day visit from January 21.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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