Atlanta [US], October 31 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has a packed schedule on the margins of the G20 in Atlanta, a source familiar with the developments told ANI.
He arrived on Friday for the two-day Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Washington says the agenda centres on energy, supply chains and keeping sea lanes open, issues that weigh heavily on India’s oil, LNG and fertiliser imports.
India’s Foreign Ministry has said Jaishankar will also attend a Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and hold bilateral engagements. According to the source, his list covers Europe, Latin America, East Asia and North America, and shows how India is trying to widen its options in an unsettled world.
There is no formal bilateral meeting with the United States for now, the source said, as Rubio has only just visited India. A pull-aside between the two is most likely.
The Quad meeting brings together India, the US, Japan and Australia, represented in Atlanta by Rubio, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi and Australia’s Penny Wong. The source said it is likely to focus on maritime security, supply chains and technology.
Across the two days, Jaishankar is due to meet Germany’s Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, the source said. Berlin is India’s largest trading partner in Europe, and talks are likely to cover trade, defence cooperation and skilled migration.
Both sides are also expected to discuss how to make the most of closer India-EU economic ties.
The meeting to watch most closely is with Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Anand. The source said the two countries are actively working to reset a relationship that has been strained in recent years, anchored by renewed high-level visits, trade expansion and institutional cooperation.
The focus is expected to be on trade and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada in December.
Among the Latin American counterparts, Jaishankar will meet Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, the source said. The two countries are partners in BRICS, and Brazil is a major supplier of agricultural products to India.
Talks could cover energy, defence and how to coordinate positions on global governance. He will also meet Argentina’s Pablo Quirno, in a meeting driven partly by interest in critical minerals, especially lithium, along with agriculture and energy supplies.
India has been looking to the region to secure resources for its energy transition. A third meeting is planned with Mexico’s Roberto Velasco, according to the source.
Mexico is one of India’s largest trading partners in Latin America, and manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, auto components and supply-chain diversification are the likely themes.
Closer to Europe’s eastern flank, Jaishankar will meet Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, the source said. Warsaw is a growing economic and strategic partner in Central Europe, and the relationship has gained momentum in recent years.
Defence, infrastructure and Indian investment in Poland are expected to feature.
In East Asia, he will meet South Korea’s Cho Hyun. Seoul is a major investor in India, especially in electronics, automobiles and shipbuilding, and both sides want to deepen technology and manufacturing cooperation, the source said.
Taken together, the schedule reflects India’s push to diversify partnerships at a time when trade and energy flows are disrupted, the source said. Each meeting serves a different purpose: technology and defence with Europe and Korea, resources with Argentina and Brazil, and stronger ties with Canada.
After Atlanta, Jaishankar will travel to Antigua and Barbuda for Commonwealth talks. (ANI)
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