Jaishankar meets counterparts from Bangladesh, South Korea, Czech Republic & EU in Paris

Paris, Feb 22 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met his counterparts from Bangladesh, South Korea, the Czech Republic and the European Union in Paris, discussing issues of mutual interest and ways to step up bilateral engagement.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from Germany on Sunday on a three-day visit to France, has held a series of meetings with his counterparts from other Indo-Pacific countries participating in the EU Indo-Pacific Forum. Jaishankar met his Bangladeshi counterpart Dr. AK Abdul Momen. “Good meeting with Bangladesh FM Dr. AK Abdul Momen. Appropriate that it should be on International Mother Language Day. Noted that 2021 was a great year for the relationship. Committed to taking it to an even higher level in 2022,” he tweeted after the meeting.

On Monday, he met Chung Eui-yong, his South Korean counterpart. “Met with FM Chung Eui-yong of Republic of Korea. Agreed to strengthen our bilateral cooperation. Facilitating ease of travel is a shared priority. Also discussed regional issues of common concern,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.

Jaishankar also met his Czech counterpart. “Nice meeting with FM (Foreign Minister) Jan Lipavsky of the Czech Republic. Engaged him on EU related issues as part of the Trio. Appreciate his commitment to facilitating an expanded relationship,” Jaishankar tweeted, along with a photograph after the meeting. After his meeting with EU Commissioner for International Relationships Jutta Urpilainen, Jaishankar tweeted, “A warm interaction with EU Commissioner for International relationships Jutta Urpilainen. “A positive discussion on working together in Africa, enhancing green partnerships and on promoting connectivity. India-EU cooperation is advancing across many fronts,” Jaishankar wrote.

Earlier on Monday, the External Affairs Minister met French Defence Minister Florence Parly. “Pleasure to meet Defence Minister @florence_parly. As trusted strategic partners, discussed contemporary developments. Convergence in our outlook and interests was visible. Affirmed our commitment to cooperate on new and emerging security challenges, he tweeted after the meeting.

Jaishankar arrived in Paris on a day when French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a marathon telephonic conversation to defuse the crisis in Ukraine amid apprehension of a Russian invasion of the eastern European nation. On Sunday, Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian during which they discussed key regional and global issues, particularly the India-EU relationship, and exchanged perspectives on the situation in Afghanistan, Iranian nuclear deal and the Ukraine crisis.

Jaishankar and Drian also reiterated their shared commitment to the principles of multilateralism and a rules-based order, and agreed to coordinate in the UN Security Council on issues of mutual concern.