External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Commences Week-Long Visit To Indonesia And Thailand, Focuses On ASEAN And BIMSTEC Partnerships
New Delhi, 12th July 2023: Starting from Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is embarking on a week-long visit to Indonesia and Thailand. His itinerary includes important meetings with counterparts from the ASEAN and BIMSTEC groupings. In Indonesia, Jaishankar will engage in discussions with his ASEAN counterparts, specifically within the ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum frameworks. These interactions will span over two days, commencing on Thursday.
Additionally, the External Affairs Ministry has stated that Jaishankar will conduct bilateral meetings with counterparts from other countries. The ministry’s statement emphasizes India’s strong commitment to the ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting the significance of India’s involvement with this ASEAN-centric regional architecture.
Following his visit to Jakarta, Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Bangkok, where he will engage in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on Sunday. The MGC, an initiative guided by India’s Act East Policy, facilitates closer connections among its six member countries—India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam—which share the Ganga and Mekong river basins.
Furthermore, during his time in Bangkok, Jaishankar will attend the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on July 17. BIMSTEC serves as an economic and technical initiative, fostering collaboration among the countries of the Bay of Bengal. The retreat aims to explore avenues for further enhancing the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthening the organization.
