Jaishankar meets British, Indonesian counterparts in Bangkok

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his British and Indonesian counterparts at the Bangkok Convention Centre on Thursday.

Jaishankar held talks with Dominic Raab of UK and Retno Marsudi of Indonesia separately.

"Welcoming a new colleague @DominicRaab. Discussing future of India-UK cooperation," Jaishankar wrote on twitter.

"Bonding with a close neighbour. Thank you @Menlu_RI. Looking forward to visiting you soon" the minister said in another tweet.

Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Thailand to attend the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EAS FMM), 26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting, which is being held today and tomorrow (August 2).

On August 2, the 9th EAS FMM would be held to discuss preparations for the East Asia Summit, scheduled to be held in Bangkok on November 4 this year.

"In this context, the ministers will discuss the implementation of the Manila Plan of Action (2018-2022) to implement the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative, adopted by the EAS Leaders in 2012," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"They will also deliberate on the current regional and international issues and on further strengthening of the EAS as the region's prominent leaders-led forum for discussion on global political-security and economic issues," it added.

Later in the afternoon, Jaishankar is also slated to attend the 26th ARF. The forum will focus on joint programs and activities by the member-states and organisations to foster the habit of cooperation and build strategic trust in the region.

Both at the EAS and ARF, Jaishankar will enumerate India's Indo-Pacific vision, which was elaborated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore in June last year.

Jaishankar will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related multilateral meetings.