Intro: Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
Bishkek
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, regional developments and cooperation in various areas.
Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed issues concerning bilateral relations and regional developments. After the meeting, Jaishankar described the interaction as a good engagement with Wang Yi. The meeting came weeks after the two ministers held extensive discussions in Manila in July on bilateral relations, border stability and important regional and global issues.
The External Affairs Minister also held brief interactions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Jaishankar said he had a quick catch-up with both ministers on the sidelines of the SCO summit. His engagement with Lavrov follows a detailed discussion last week covering bilateral cooperation, regional hotspots, global challenges and multilateral matters. With Araghchi, Jaishankar had earlier met in New Delhi in May to discuss developments in West Asia and their wider implications.
Jaishankar also met Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin. During his interaction with Saidov, the two sides reviewed their strategic partnership, with focus on energy, infrastructure, trade, defence, education and culture. They also discussed regional challenges and ways to expand multilateral cooperation. Jaishankar had met Saidov during his recent visit to New Delhi, where the partnership was reviewed in detail.
His meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Muhriddin also covered matters of mutual interest on the sidelines of the SCO summit. The series of engagements highlighted India’s efforts to maintain active diplomatic contacts with key SCO partners and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues. The meetings also provided an opportunity for India to exchange views on developments affecting the wider Eurasian region.
Key Points
- Jaishankar met Iranian and Russian counterparts.
- Discussed bilateral cooperation and regional hotspots.
- Met Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov.
- Reviewed strategic partnership covering energy and trade.
- Held discussions with Tajik Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin.
- Engagements strengthened ties with SCO partners.