External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday met the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt and reviewed developments in West Asia amid the ongoing regional crisis.
After his meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Jaishankar said in a post on X, “Our discussion on West Asia/Middle East was truly valuable.”
Jordan, which borders the Gulf region, has been affected by the ongoing conflict and remains an important regional player.
Following his meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Jaishankar described the talks as “a useful review of regional developments”.
Egypt has traditionally maintained close relations with India and remains an influential country in West Asia.
Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George represented India at a high-level ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.
At the meeting, “India reaffirmed its clear and consistent support for the Two-State solution”, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
“India’s approach combines political commitment with practical support,” he said.
The meeting, chaired by Saudi Arabia, focused on advancing a two-state solution under which Palestine and Israel coexist as independent and sovereign states. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly endorsed the two-state solution.
Jaishankar also met Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and said he conveyed India’s “strong commitment” to the success of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which the Caribbean nation is scheduled to host in November.
“Our development partnership, capacity building, and climate change cooperation are going forward,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
India has provided USD 1 million in assistance to Antigua and Barbuda through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, besides direct assistance for programmes such as rebuilding a hospital damaged by a hurricane.
Jaishankar also met UN Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva, who heads the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which supports relief and development efforts.
“Appreciated the contribution of UNOPS to facilitate logistics in delicate and challenging situations,” Jaishankar said on X.
On Wednesday, Jaishankar met the foreign ministers of Fiji and Papua New Guinea, Sakiasi Ditoka and Justin Tkatchenko, respectively.
(IANS Inputs)
