Jaishankar calls on Lankan President Wickremesinghe in Kampala, appreciates bilateral initiatives

KAMPALA: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Ugandan capital, Kampala.

"Pleased to call on Sri Lankan President @RW_UNP on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Kampala," Jaishankar posted from his official X handle on Saturday.

"Appreciate his continued guidance for the advancement of our bilateral initiatives. India's commitment is reflected in our Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policy," the EAM added.

In a series of bilateral meetings and engagements at the ongoing NAM summit in Uganda, Jaishankar met with his counterparts from Bolivia, Azerbaijan and Venezuela on Friday.

In his meetings with the leaders, Jaishankar exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed bilateral relations.

The EAM also called on Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and held discussions on ongoing developments in the region.

"Always good to meet Bahraini FM Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Discussed ongoing developments in the region," Jaishankar posted from his X handle.

Jaishankar also shared the key takeaways from his meeting with the Venezulean FM saying, "Good meeting with Venezuelan FM @yvangil. Discussed our economic, energy and development cooperation. Exchanged views on regional and global issues."

During a sit-down with his Azerbaijan counterpart, EAM Jaishankar discussed bilateral relations and regional matters.

He also held a meeting with Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda, with the discussions centering around cooperation in development and traditional medicine.

The EAM also shared glimpses from the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, which commenced here on Friday. In some images, the External Affairs Minister is seen meeting various foreign dignitaries at the two-day summit.

Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the SuThe 19th NAM Summit under Uganda's leadership. The event this year, themed on 'Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence', has brought together delegates from more than 120 developing countries on a platform of crucial historic significance.

The NAM is a forum of 120 countries not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

India wholeheartedly supports Uganda's theme for NAM and looks forward to engaging with the countries in the bloc, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement earlier, adding that as one of the leading and founding members of NAM, India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement.

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

Jaishankar also called on Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio and held discussions on the expanding collaboration between the two countries as well as the 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," Jaishankar posted from his X handle.