JOHANNESBURG: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday discussed issues related to the Indo-Pacific region with his Australian and French counterparts, Penny Wong and Jean-Noel Barrot, during a trilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting here.
Jaishankar is in Johannesburg on a two-day visit to South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Sharing some details of the meeting on X, he said, "Great to meet FMs @SenatorWong and @jnbarrot at the India-Australia-France trilateral meeting in Johannesburg. Our three countries have shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and the potential to strengthen each other’s position. Appreciate the ideas put forward in the trilateral and look forward to realising them in practical ways."
Jaishankar also held his first meeting with European Union Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
The discussion covered key areas of India-EU cooperation, including trade, security, and geopolitical developments. The Ukraine conflict was also a major topic.
"A productive first meeting with EU HRVP @kajakallas today in Johannesburg. We discussed India-EU ties, developments in Europe, the Ukraine conflict, and other global issues. Look forward to welcoming the EU Commission and EU College to India soon," the External Affairs Minister posted on X.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed developments in Sino-India ties, management of peace and tranquillity along border areas, and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumption, during their talks held on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Jaishankar discussed bilateral cooperation and India-Africa ties with Angola's Foreign Minister Amb Tete Antonio. "Look forward to hosting him in India," he posted on X.
He also had a "good conversation" with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf on bilateral partnership and cooperation in the multilateral arena. They also discussed the developments in West Asia.
Jaishankar also had a "quick chat" with Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris on the sidelines of G20 FMM.
"Look forward to continuing our conversation," he posted on X.
On Thursday, addressing the G20 session titled 'Discussion on the Global Geopolitical Situation', Jaishankar said the G20 is an important expression of the world’s growing multi-polarity.
"The global geopolitical situation remains difficult by any definition. Some of it is the accumulated challenges of the Covid pandemic, conflict situations, financial pressures, food security and climate concerns," he said.
As the premier forum for international economic cooperation, the G20 plays a critical role in steering the global economy through the significant challenges it faces.
The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union and the European Union.