External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday embarked on a six-day visit to Bangladesh, Sweden and Belgium to explore ways to bolster India's engagement with the three nations under bilateral as well as multilateral framework.
In Brussels, Jaishankar will attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) along with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Railways and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The TTC ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held on May 16. The recently-launched TTC is expected to facilitate exchange of critical technologies relating to an array of domains including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and cybersecurity.
The TTC with India is the European Union's second such technology partnership after the first one with the US that was firmed up in June 2021.
In the first leg of his trip, Jaishankar is visiting Dhaka on May 11 and 12, the MEA said. From Bangladesh's capital, Jaishankar will travel to Sweden for a visit from May 13 to 15, according to MEA. In the last phase of his three-nation trip, the external affairs minister will visit Belgium on May 15 and 16.
In Brussels, Jaishankar will also have bilateral meetings with Belgian and EU officials. In Dhaka, the external affairs minister will participate in the sixth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference.
It will also be attended by President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Maldivian Vice President Faisal Naseem, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and several ministers from across the world, the MEA said.
Jaishankar's visit to Sweden will be his first as the external affairs minister. The trip comes at a time when India and Sweden are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"In Sweden, the external affairs minister will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). He will hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several countries on the margins of EIPMF," the MEA said in a statement.
"During his stay, he will call on leadership in Sweden and meet with key ministers. He will also participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum (India, Europe and US) with his Swedish counterpart," it said.
