Jaishankar meets Israeli counterpart Katz in Rome on sidelines of Mediterranean Dialogues

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz in Rome on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.

The meeting was scheduled at the request of the Israeli side and is the first between the two leaders, sources said.

"Glad to meet FM @Israel_katz of Israel. Useful exchange of views on regional issues and a productive conversation on bilateral cooperation," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

Mediterranean Dialogues (MED) is an annual high-level initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies).

Its goal is to rethink traditional approaches to the area complementing analyses of current challenges with new ideas and suggestions and to draft a new "positive agenda", addressing shared challenges at both the regional and the international level.

Launched in 2015, the annual event has become an important platform for highlevel talks on the broader mediterranean, engaging prominent leaders from the region, business leaders, civil society, media and academia.

The three-day event kicked off on December 5 in Rome.

Jaishankar began his visit to Italy with a meeting with Senator Roberta Pinotti, president of IndiaItaly Parliamentary Friendship Group.

After meeting Pinotti, Jaishanker tweeted, "Appreciate her strong support for our ties."