EAM Jaishankar meets counterparts from Egypt, Belarus

Kampala [Uganda], January 19 (ANI): On the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with counterparts from Egypt and Belarus in Kampala on Thursday (local time).

During the meeting, Jaishankar and his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik exchanged views on cooperation between India and Belarus in various sectors.

The two leaders spoke about developments related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Jaishankar took to social media platform X to share insights from the meeting held with Aleinik.

“A useful meeting with Belarusian FM Sergei Aleinik. Exchanged views on India – Belarus cooperation in various fields. Also discussed developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict,” Jaishankar posted on X.

Jaishankar also held a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. The two leaders appreciated his assessment of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

During the meeting, Jaishankar and Sameh Shoukry noted the continued progress of bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, “Delighted to meet Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry. Appreciate his assessment and insights on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. We also noted the continued progress of our bilateral cooperation following the exchange of visits of our leaders in 2023.”

In Kampala, Jaishankar also met Maldivian foreign minister Moosa Zameer and the two ministers exchanged views on the ongoing high-level discussions on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel. They further held discussions to expedite the completion of ongoing development projects in the Maldives and cooperation within SAARC and NAM.

S Jaishankar met Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio and held discussions on the expanding collaboration between India and Angola as well as broader India-Africa cooperation.

“Good meeting with Angolan FM @amb_tete. Discussed the expanding India-Angola and India-Africa cooperation. Also spoke about cooperation in multilateral fora. Thanked him for extending visa-free arrangement for Indian nationals,” said Jaishankar in a post on X.

EAM S Jaishankar arrived in Kampala on Thursday to lead the Indian delegation at the two-day 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) starting from January 19. The summit will be preceded by deliberations at the ministerial and senior official levels.

“Arrived in Kampala to represent India at the 19th NAM Summit. Looking forward to engaging colleagues over the coming two days,” said External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in a post on X.Preceding the NAM Summit,

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh will represent India at the NAM Foreign Minister’s meeting. Meanwhile, MoS External Affairs V Muraleedharan will represent India at the G-77 Third South Summit, which will be held in Kampala on January 21-22, as per a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The 19th NAM Summit under Uganda’s leadership is being held under the theme ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’ and brings together more than 120 developing countries on a platform of crucial historic significance.

India wholeheartedly supports Uganda’s theme for NAM and looks forward to engaging with NAM countries.

As one of the leading and founding members of NAM, India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement, the MEA release said. After concluding his visit to Uganda, Jaishankar will then travel to Nigeria on an official visit from January 21-23. The EAM will co-chair the 6th India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart and meet with other leaders.

The EAM will also inaugurate the 3rd edition of the Nigeria-India Business Council meeting, deliver a speech at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, interact with delegates of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and inaugurate the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. He will also chair the regional conference of Indian Heads of Missions.