EAM Jaishankar meets Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi counterparts on sidelines of ARF meeting in Manila

Manila: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi counterparts Vijitha Herath and Khalilur Rahman on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Manila, as India continued its high-level diplomatic engagements during the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings.

Sharing details of the meetings, Jaishankar said in a post on X, "Glad to meet FM Vijitha Herath of Sri Lanka and FM Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh during the ARF meeting Manila, Philippines."

Read more: EAM S Jaishankar, Marco Rubio hold talks in Manila on trade, energy


Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, on Wednesday, in a post on X, said that his visit to Manila was aimed at reaffirming Sri Lanka's commitment to strengthening engagement with the ARF and ASEAN member states.

"Today (22), I arrived in Manila, Philippines, to participate in the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). This visit reaffirms Sri Lanka's commitment to deepening constructive engagement with the ARF and ASEAN Member States. On the sidelines of the ARF related meetings, I will also hold bilateral meetings with my counterparts from the participating countries," the post read.

The EAM also had a 'catch-up' with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

"Good to catch up with EU HRVP Kaja Kallas in Manila, Philippines," the EAM stated in a post on X.

Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Manila, during which he attended and is set to attend a series of foreign minister-level meetings, including the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ARF meetings.

On Wednesday, Jaishankar held talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, with discussions focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing the objectives set for India-Canada ties by the two countries' Prime Ministers.

Read more: 'I expect India to be concerned about US pharma tariffs': Rubio on Trump's 200% storm

Jaishankar also held a lunch meeting with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and exchanged views on regional and global developments.

The External Affairs Minister also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and raised India's concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers following the attack on commercial vessel MV Golden Leo, which resulted in the deaths of four Indian nationals.

"An in-depth review of our bilateral relations with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The two ministers also discussed areas including trade and investment, energy, connectivity, science and technology, mobility, the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation.

Jaishankar also held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, emphasising that a stable and cooperative India-China relationship based on "mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity" could contribute to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world.

He said peace and tranquillity in border areas remained a prerequisite for normal ties, while welcoming recent steps such as the resumption of direct flights, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and border trade.

The EAM also highlighted issues including fair market access, trade balance and supply chain predictability.

The External Affairs Minister also held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio covering key areas of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade and tariffs, energy, defence and security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, along with regional, global and multilateral issues.

The meeting took place alongside the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where India, the United States, Japan and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and support for ASEAN centrality.

Jaishankar also met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa P Lazaro.

With Wong, he followed up on the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Australia and discussed the upcoming Quad engagement.

During his talks with Lazaro, Jaishankar discussed strengthening the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership, with focus areas including trade and investment, education, defence and security, maritime cooperation, capacity building and developments in the Indo-Pacific.