Jaishankar meets Iranian, Russian foreign ministers on UNGA margins

External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar, engaged in discussions with Iranian and Russian Foreign Ministers during the margins of the UN General Assembly session. The talks covered bilateral matters, cooperation within the BRICS grouping, and the ongoing Gulf conflict. Jaishankar held separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

During his conversation with Lavrov, they discussed key issues of Russian-Indian cooperation, upcoming bilateral contacts, and regional and global issues, including the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East. Both ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening their special and privileged strategic partnership and maintaining close coordination at international forums like the UN and G20.

Jaishankar also met with Araghchi, focusing on the latest developments in the Gulf conflict. India has reaffirmed its commitment to energy security for its 1.4 billion people through diversified sourcing amidst the US sanctions on Russia and Iran. At the UN, Jaishankar co-chaired the India-Gulf Cooperation Council Troika Ministerial Meeting, reviewing progress on the India-GCC Joint Action Plan and exploring ways to enhance the partnership in various areas such as trade, investment, energy, food security, health, new technologies, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

India welcomed the launch of India-GCC free trade agreement negotiations. Jaishankar also emphasized the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence for international peace and security, particularly focusing on maritime security, while acknowledging the potential risks and challenges associated with AI advancements.