Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Seychelles from November 24 to 29, his first visit to the extended neighborhood amid the Covid-19 pandemic to boost bilateral cooperation.
Since diplomatic engagements were interrupted by the pandemic, Jaishankar has traveled alone to Russia for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and to Japan for a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad.
Jaishankar’s visit to Bahrain from November 24 to 25 will be his first visit to the country after taking office. He will convey his condolences on behalf of the Indian government to the Bahraini leadership on the death of Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa on November 11.
It will hold talks on bilateral issues and regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Bahrain is home to more than 350,000 Indians and both sides have worked together to counter the pandemic. Flights between the two countries operate under an air bubble agreement.
Jaishankar will be in the UAE from November 25 to 26, when he is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They will promote bilateral cooperation within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership and exchange views on regional and international issues.
It will discuss the ways Indian workers can resume their jobs in the UAE in the post-Covid scenario. More than three million Indians live and work in the UAE.
India and the United Arab Emirates have maintained close high-level contacts during the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Jaishankar has spoken with his UAE counterpart several times in recent months. They also co-chaired the meeting of the joint India-UAE commission in September.
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority jointly chaired a meeting of the high-level investment working group in early November.
In the last leg of his tour, Jaishankar will travel to Seychelles from November 27 to 28. He will meet with newly elected President Wavel Ramkalawan to present Modi’s greetings and discuss the new government’s priorities and ways to strengthen bilateral relations. Jaishankar will also hold bilateral consultations with the newly appointed Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde.
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