External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday met with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Manila, where the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments.
Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Had a good lunch conversation with FM Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore this afternoon in Manila. Always appreciate his insights and assessments on the region, as also on global developments.”
Jaishankar is in the Philippines to participate in the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), besides holding a series of bilateral engagements with his counterparts.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and reiterated India’s “strong concern” over the safety of Indian seafarers following the attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo, which claimed the lives of four Indian nationals.
“An in-depth review of our bilateral relations with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region,” Jaishankar said. The two ministers also reviewed cooperation in trade and investment, energy, connectivity, science and technology, and mobility, while exchanging views on the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation.
Jaishankar also held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which he said a stable and cooperative India-China relationship based on “mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity” could make a valuable contribution to a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world.
He stressed that peace and tranquillity along the border remain essential for the normalisation of bilateral ties. Jaishankar welcomed recent developments, including the resumption of direct flights, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and border trade, while noting that issues such as fair market access, trade balance and supply chain predictability also require attention.
The External Affairs Minister later met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with the two leaders reviewing priority areas of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Their discussions covered trade and tariffs, energy, defence and security, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, as well as regional, global and multilateral issues.
The bilateral meeting coincided with the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where India, Australia, Japan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and reiterated support for ASEAN centrality.
Earlier, Jaishankar also met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Philippines Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.
He said his discussions with Wong focused on advancing the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Australia and preparations for the Quad meeting.
During his meeting with Lazaro, Jaishankar reviewed progress in the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership, with discussions covering trade and investment, education, defence and security, maritime cooperation, capacity building and recent developments in the Indo-Pacific.
(With ANI inputs)
