Swaraj holds bilateral talks with foreign counterparts ahead of UNGA meet

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is attending the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, held bilateral talks with her counterparts from Ecuador, Colombia, Australia, and Mongolia.

Swaraj on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, on the sidelines of the UNGA, along with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar and Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia.

Earlier, Sushma had met her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita and discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharmaceuticals, cybersecurity, defense, and culture. She also met European Union's High Representative Federica Mog and exchanged views on trade, investment and issues of global and regional interests.

Swaraj and her Liechtenstein counterpart Aurelia Frick met and held talks on enhancing bilateral ties in the areas of trade and investment.

The External Affairs Minister was also slated to meet her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UNGA. However, after increasing reports of violence on police and army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, the meeting was called off.

Apart from participating in the General Debate, scheduled to commence on Monday (September 25 in IST), Swaraj, during her jam-packed schedule, will hold a total of over 30 bilateral meetings as part of her visit to the United States.