India, UAE and France maintain first trilateral ministerial assembly in US

India, the UAE and France have held their first trilateral ministerial assembly right here on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session and mentioned a brand new and extra modern method of doing diplomacy with a give attention to “active exchange” of concepts between strategic companions and UNSC members.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday to take part within the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly, which kick-starts September 20 with the opening of the General Debate.

“A productive first trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE-France. Active exchange of ideas between strategic partners and UNSC members,” Jaishankar tweeted after the assembly, hosted by the UAE on Monday, with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.

Jaishankar started his hectic diplomatic week with a sequence of bilateral and multilateral engagements on the sidelines of the high-level session.

This was the primary ministerial-level assembly of the India, the UAE and France trilateral.

The three nations, whereas completely different, are strategic companions to 1 one other and discussions focussed on areas of commonalities and on understanding tips on how to specify and concretise these commonalities going ahead, official sources stated.

They stated the three nations are very snug with one another and there are a lot of areas the place doubtlessly they might be working in a extra coordinated method.

Such plurilateral conferences signify a brand new and extra modern method of doing diplomacy, they stated, citing the instance of Quad (Australia, India, Japan, the US), I2U2 (India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States), trilateral between India, France and Australia as boards rising as efficient methods of discovering a typical agenda.

They added that sometimes, groupings had been regional and contiguous in nature akin to SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and the EU apart from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

The official sources added that diplomacy is now altering and there are nations which aren’t neighbours or subsequent to one another in a area however which have sure widespread pursuits and are working with one another.

Following his bilateral assembly with the UAE Foreign Minister, Jaishankar tweeted: “Reviewed the continuing progress of our partnership. Appreciated his assessments and insights on the global situation.”

Official sources stated that for India, issues are transferring very nicely on a number of fronts with the UAE, in opposition to the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to the Gulf nation in June this yr and Jaishankar’s go to two weeks in the past for the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting.

Jaishankar additionally met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

“Our bilateral ties are growing strongly in the areas of defence, trade and investments. Cooperation in new initiatives like green hydrogen & ammonia and education sectors will further bolster them. Discussed our close cooperation at the UN and NAM. Recognised the value Egypt’s participation in G20 will bring next year,” he tweeted.

Official sources stated that the assembly with the Egyptian management was vital, asserting that Egypt is completely on the identical web page as India with regards to points akin to refocusing the world on growth issues, Global South.

Describing the connection as a giant assembly of the minds, sources added that India’s financial relationship with Egypt is doing nicely, commerce is at an all-time excessive and there are very robust funding pursuits.

Egypt can also be chairing COP27 and they’re massive gamers in areas of renewables, particularly inexperienced hydrogen and ammonia.

During a “useful exchange of views” with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Jaishankar stated he was trying ahead to “working together in the G-77 and other multilateral formats.”

“Spoke about rice supplies and development projects. Welcomed his appreciation of the Panchakarma Centre in Havana,” he stated.

India has given Cuba a 100-million-euro line of credit score for purchasing rice. Cuba can also be anticipated to take over because the Chair of G77, the worldwide south grouping which permeates by means of the UN processes.

In his assembly with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Jaishankar appreciated his briefing on the most recent developments within the African nation.

“Discussed greater cooperation in education and trade,” he stated.

In his assembly with Olta Xhaçka, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Jaishankar stated: “Valued our close cooperation in the UN Security Council. Discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship. Exchanged views on Ukraine and energy security.”

Sources stated that India and Albania working collectively within the UN Security Council has been expertise and the 2 sides need to see whether or not they can construct on the Security Council expertise and take it into the bilateral relationship.

— ENDS —