EAM Jaishankar to visit Bangladesh, Sweden, and Belgium this week

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is embarking on an official visit to Bangladesh, Sweden, and Belgium this week, in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties and engage in key multilateral discussions.

During the first leg of the trip, EAM Jaishankar will visit Dhaka, Bangladesh, from May 11 to May 12, 2023.

According to information released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (May 11, 2023), he will be attending the 6th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference, where he will join esteemed dignitaries including President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Vice President of Maldives Faisal Naseem, and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, along with several ministers from around the world.

Following his visit to Bangladesh, EAM Jaishankar will head to Sweden from May 13-15, 2023, marking his first visit to the country since assuming office. This visit comes at the time when India and Sweden commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations and Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

While in Sweden, EAM Jaishankar will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF), engaging in bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from various countries on the sidelines of the forum. He will also call on the Swedish leadership and hold discussions with key ministers. Furthermore, he will participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum, involving India, Europe, and the United States, with his Swedish counterpart.

During the final leg of his tour, EAM Jaishankar will travel to Brussels, Belgium from May 15-14, 2023, for crucial bilateral engagements with Belgian and European Union officials.

While there, he will also be attending the first Ministerial Meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), where he will be accompanied by Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw. The TTC Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for May 16, aims to foster greater trade and technological cooperation between India and the European Union.