External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday engaged in discussions with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong during his visit to Perth, focusing on bilateral ties, the Indo-Pacific region, and the situation in West Asia.
Jaishankar participated in the inaugural session of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
During the meeting, Jaishankar and Wong exchanged views on the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Australia, emphasizing their convergence on Indian Ocean-related matters. They also addressed issues concerning the Indo-Pacific and the current state of affairs in West Asia.
Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar shared insights from the meeting and expressed his pleasure at joining his ministerial counterparts from various Indian Ocean countries at the conference's opening session.
Organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with the India Foundation, the Indian Ocean Conference serves as a vital platform for regional countries to engage in consultations. This year's edition, themed "Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean," is hosted in Perth in association with
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
With participation from delegations led by ministers from over 22 countries and senior officials from 16 nations and six multilateral organizations, the conference aims to foster dialogue and cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
Since its inception in 2016, the Indian Ocean Conference has been instrumental in facilitating discussions among regional stakeholders to explore avenues for enhanced regional cooperation and development.
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