EAM S Jaishankar Embarks On 3-Nation Tour; Focus on Trade & Technology Cooperation

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarked on a three-nation tour of Bangladesh, Sweden, and Belgium on Thursday.

His first stop is Dhaka, where he will participate in the sixth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference over the next two days. The conference will see the presence of the President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Vice-President of Maldives Faisal Naseem, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, and several ministers from across the world.

Following his visit to Bangladesh, the minister will head to Sweden from May 13-15. This will be his first visit as foreign minister to Sweden, and it comes at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Jaishankar will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF) during his visit. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of several countries on the margins of EIPMF, and call on the Swedish leadership while meeting with key ministers. Additionally, he will participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum with his Swedish counterpart, which will also involve the US and Europe.

In the final leg of his trip, Jaishankar will visit Brussels from May 15-16 for bilateral engagements with Belgian and EU officials. He will attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council along with Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The TTC ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held on May 16.

Jaishankar’s visit comes at a time when India is looking to strengthen its ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific region and the EU. The visit to Bangladesh is particularly significant, given the recent unrest in the country and the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis. The meetings with Swedish and EU officials will likely focus on issues such as climate change, trade, and regional security. The India-EU Trade and Technology Council is expected to play a key role in strengthening economic ties between India and the EU, which is India’s largest trading partner.