EAM Jaishankar Meets Turkish Counterpart Hakan Fidan During ASEAN Meetings

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday, met with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, during the ASEAN meetings in Vientiane. Jaishankar stated that they discussed their bilateral relationship and exchanged views on regional and global matters.

In a post on X, he said, “Met with FM @HakanFidan of Turkiye on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane. Discussed our bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and global issues.”

On Saturday, Jaishankar mentioned that he had met with the Prime Minister of Laos and addressed the issue of Indian nationals being trafficked through cyber scam centers. Additionally, he discussed the relief and rescue of Indians with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.

In a post on X, he said, “During my call on the Prime Minister of Lao PDR, took up the issue of the trafficking of Indian nationals through cyber scam centers. Appreciate the ongoing cooperation of Lao PDR government in the rescue and relief of our citizens. Also discussed the matter with the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.”

On Friday, during the ASEAN events in Vientiane, Laos, Jaishankar met with his counterparts from South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the European Union.

He held discussions with Cho Tae-yul, South Korea’s Foreign Minister, focusing on their Special Strategic Partnership. Jaishankar also met with Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to talk about strengthening India-EU relations in trade, clean energy transition, and advanced technologies.

The External Affairs Minister spoke with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, expressing gratitude for Singapore’s role in advancing ASEAN-India relations. He also congratulated Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on her tenure and praised her efforts to enhance India-Indonesia and India-ASEAN relations.

Additionally, Jaishankar met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Haji Hasan to discuss bilateral initiatives. The meetings included exchanges on various regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern.

(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)