New Delhi: For the first time as External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar is set to embark on a nine-day visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic to boost bilateral ties in new areas.
Jaishankar’s itinerary includes visits to Guyana from April 21-23, Panama from April 24-25, Colombia from April 25-27 and Dominican Republic from April 27-29. In Guyana, he will meet the country’s leaders and several ministers while co-chairing a Joint Commission meeting with his counterpart, Hugh Hilton Todd, to discuss a range of issues affecting both countries.
MEA highlighted that the Minister’s visit to Guyana also presents an opportunity to convene a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the India-COFCOR format and hold bilateral talks with the participating Ministers. The Council on Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) comprises the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
During his Panama visit, Jaishankar will meet top leaders and call on Foreign Minister Janaina Tevane Menkomo. There will also be an India-SICA Foreign Ministerial meeting, which will be attended by representatives of the eight countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA).
Jaishankar’s visit to Colombia is the country’s first foreign minister-level visit. He will engage with representatives of government, business and civil society, while he and Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán review bilateral relations.
The Ministry of External Affairs noted that Jaishankar’s visit to the Dominican Republic is the highest-level visit from India since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1999. His visit follows the inauguration of the Resident Embassy of India in Santo Domingo in 2022. Jaishankar will meet with the country’s political leaders and Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and the pair will formally inaugurate the Indian resident mission.
A business delegation led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will attend various business events during Jaishankar’s visit, emphasizing on the growing mutual interest in stronger business ties. The Minister will also interact with members of the Indian community in each of the four countries.
The MEA said Jaishankar’s visit and engagement with CARICOM and SICA counterparts provided impetus to India-LAC ties, maintained high-level contacts with Latin American and Caribbean countries and explored new avenues of cooperation, particularly In the post-pandemic scenario from .
catch all politics news And updates on Live Mint. download mint news app to receive daily market update & Live business News,