Jaishankar speaks to counterparts from Australia, Indonesia, Maldives

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 5

With phone calls between Foreign Offices becoming the barometer of diplomatic proximity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who began the New Year with telephonic conversations with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on Wednesday spoke with his counterparts from Australia, Indonesia and the Maldives.   

Describing his talk with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi as “good’’, Jaishankar said both Ministers agreed to take forward bilateral ties and exchanged views on Myanmar and Afghanistan. They also resolved to work closely in the G-20 Troika of past, present and the next President.

Following a New Year call with Australian Foreign Minister and Quad partner Marise Payne, Jaishankar said he was confident that 2022 will see even greater advancement in ties. “Recognised the great progress in bilateral cooperation in my talk with FM,’’ said the External Affairs Minister.

After the conversation with Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, Jaishankar said the mutual benefits from bilateral ties are “very visible’’.

On Tuesday, the Blinken-Jaishankar talk covered “current bilateral issues, Indo-Pacific and pressing global matters’’. The Minister also exchanged New Year greetings with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and discussed the follow up of the annual Summit and 2 2 Meeting. Both leaders also agreed to remain in regular touch.