EAM Jaishankar holds bilateral meet with counterparts from Egypt, Belarus

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Egypt, the Maldives, Angola and Belarus during which he discussed with them issues of mutual interests and expanding cooperation in the multilateral fora.

Jaishankar, who arrived in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala to represent India at the two-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) beginning Friday, held a "frank conversation" with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer on bilateral ties.

"Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala. A frank conversation on India-Maldives ties. Also discussed NAM related issues," Jaishankar posted on X, sharing a photograph of the meeting.

He also met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and appreciated "his assessment and insights on the ongoing conflict in Gaza".

"Delighted to meet Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry," Jaishankar posted on X along with a photograph of the meeting.

"We also noted the continued progress of our bilateral cooperation following the exchange of visits of our leaders in 2023," he said.

The minister said he had a "good meeting" with Angolan counterpart Tete Antonio during which they discussed the expanding India-Angola and India-Africa cooperation.

"Also spoke about cooperation in multilateral fora. Thanked him for extending visa-free arrangement for Indian nationals," Jaishankar posted on X.

Jaishankar also met Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation in various fields.

"A useful meeting with Belarusian FM Sergei Aleinik. Exchanged views on India-Belarus cooperation in various fields. Also discussed developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict," he posted on X.

Earlier, Jaishankar had said that he was looking forward to engaging colleagues over the coming two days. He also shared some photographs of his visit and wrote, "Arrived in Kampala to represent India at the 19th NAM Summit."

India has provided Uganda 10 buses, five ambulances, 10 tractors and some flag poles as part of assistance to support the country in hosting summits of the NAM and G77 grouping.

Jaishankar's visit to Kampala is part of his two-nation tour to Uganda and Nigeria.

From Kampala, the external affairs minister will travel to Nigeria for a three-day visit from January 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release in New Delhi ahead of his visit.

The NAM Summit under the leadership of Uganda brings together more than 120 developing countries on a platform of crucial historic significance, it said.

The theme of the summit is 'Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence', and it will be preceded by deliberations at the ministerial and senior officials levels.

Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh is representing India at the NAM foreign ministers' meeting.

"India wholeheartedly supports Uganda's theme for NAM and looks forward to engaging with the NAM under Uganda's leadership. As one of the leading and founding members of NAM, India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement," the MEA said.

On the sidelines of the NAM Summit, Jaishankar is expected to meet with the Ugandan leadership and counterparts from several other NAM member states.